Opam "switch create" does not work with -w (--working-dir)

[vog]

The opam sub command "switch create" does not work with -w (--working-dir).

Steps to reproduce:

1. Ensure that opam 2.1.2 is installed:

$ opam --version
2.1.2

2. Create a fresh ~/.opam:

$ rm -rf ~/.opam
$ opam init -n --bare

3. Create a "test" switch using "-w":

$ opam switch create -w test 4.13.1

Output:

$ opam switch create -w test 4.13.1

<><> Installing new switch packages <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Switch invariant: ["ocaml-base-compiler" {= "4.13.1"} | "ocaml-system" {= "4.13.1"}]

<><> Processing actions <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
∗ installed base-bigarray.base
∗ installed base-threads.base
∗ installed base-unix.base
∗ installed ocaml-options-vanilla.1
[ERROR] The compilation of ocaml-base-compiler.4.13.1 failed at "./configure --prefix=/.../.opam/test -C".

#=== ERROR while compiling ocaml-base-compiler.4.13.1 =========================#
# context     2.1.2 | linux/x86_64 |  | https://opam.ocaml.org#28fab8d8
# path        ~/.opam/test/.opam-switch/build/ocaml-base-compiler.4.13.1
# command     ~/.opam/opam-init/hooks/sandbox.sh build ./configure --prefix=/.../.opam/test -C
# exit-code   1
# env-file    ~/.opam/log/ocaml-base-compiler-17413-f67663.env
# output-file ~/.opam/log/ocaml-base-compiler-17413-f67663.out
### output ###
# bwrap: execvp ./configure: No such file or directory



<><> Error report <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
┌─ The following actions failed
│ λ build ocaml-base-compiler 4.13.1
└─ 
┌─ The following changes have been performed (the rest was aborted)
│ ∗ install base-bigarray         base
│ ∗ install base-threads          base
│ ∗ install base-unix             base
│ ∗ install ocaml-options-vanilla 1
└─ 

<><> ocaml-base-compiler.4.13.1 troubleshooting <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
=> A failure in the middle of the build may be caused by build parallelism
      (enabled by default).
      Please file a bug report at https://github.com/ocaml/opam-repository/issues
=> You can try installing again including --jobs=1
      to force a sequential build instead.

Remarks:

• The issue is independent from other options like "--jobs=1", "--no-install", "-v" or "-y".
• The issue is independent from the selected compiler version.
• The issue also appears for local switches.
  • The issue is independent from whether the command runs within a Git checkout or in an unversioned directory.
• In any case, the issue disappears as soon as "-w" is left out.

[rjbou]

I see what is happening here. As working dir is requested, no source synchronisation is done. In fact it is not supposed to be given at switch creation with a repository packages. Opam shouldn't let you do that, or at least handle this specific case.
I'm curious, what did you try to do ?

[vog]

@rjbou I'm using "-w" for "opam install", saw that it is a common option, and used it for "switch create" as well.

In opam 2.0.x this worked without issues, but the upgrade to 2.1.2 made it suddenly fail.

If "-w" is not supposed to work with all commands, maybe the documentation / "--help" output should be improved?

As a related note, I get strange errors on "opam install" as well, when using "-w", no matter if I do this on a version controlled or an unversioned directory.

For example, installing package "ocaml-syntax-shims" into a 4.06.0 switch in a Git versioned directory leads to (but succeeds when "-w" is left out):

# Error: I don't know about package ocaml-syntax-shims (passed through
# only-packages)

As another example, installing package "xmlm" into a 4.06.0 switch in a Git versioned directory leads to (but succeeds when "-w" is left out):

# Cannot find file ./pkg/pkg.ml.

[rjbou]

If "-w" is not supposed to work with all commands, maybe the documentation / "--help" output should be improved?

the manpage specifies that it have effect on locally pinned packages, so it should be a no-op in your case.

For the other errors, can you give the process to reproduce ? Like that i'll add them too to the test suite a fix in the same time.

See also this PR #4879, it fixes a very specific case too

[vog]

Okay, so here is how to reproduce the "opam install" errors.

Some notes upfront:

• I'm describing it with local switches because that is how I encountered them. They might or might not be reproducible with "normal" switches as well.
• The same holds for the compiler version: I only tested this with 4.06.0, it might or might not be reproducible with other versions.

Steps to reproduce:

1. Ensure opam 2.1.2
2. opam init -n --bare
3. opam switch create -vy --no-install test-switches/4.06.0 4.06.0
4. opam install -vwy --switch test-switches/4.06.0 ocaml-syntax-shims
   • See below for error message
   • Note that without -w this works: opam install -vy --switch test-switches/4.06.0 ocaml-syntax-shims
5. opam install -vwy --switch test-switches/4.06.0 xmlm
   • See below for error message
   • Note that without -w this works: opam install -vy --switch test-switches/4.06.0 xmlm

Error message for ocaml-syntax-shims:

### output ###
# Error: I don't know about package ocaml-syntax-shims (passed through
# only-packages)

<><> Error report <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
┌─ The following actions failed
│ λ build ocaml-syntax-shims 1.0.0
└─ 
╶─ No changes have been performed

Error message for xmlm:

### output ###
# Cannot find file ./pkg/pkg.ml.

<><> Error report <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
┌─ The following actions failed
│ λ build xmlm 1.4.0
└─ 
┌─ The following changes have been performed
│ ∗ install ocamlbuild 0.14.1
│ ∗ install topkg      1.0.5
└─ 

[rjbou]

Thanks for the detailled reports! PR opened