Re: libtool-1.5.x quote.test fails with solaris /bin/ksh

[Ralf Wildenhues]

Hi Alexander,

* Alexander Kurz wrote on Thu, Dec 09, 2004 at 07:55:38PM CET:
> while building libtool-1.5.x / CVS libtool 1.1773
> make check fails on tests/quote.test on
> mode { compile, link, install } and quoting { \\, \", \`, \$ }
> The problem occured on two Sparc-Solaris machines
> with different setup when solaris /bin/ksh was chosen
> as interpreter for libtool.

Oh no. :(

> Obviously libtool has quoting-problems with solaris ksh.
> 
> * libtool versions tested and affected:
>  libtool-1.5.10, libtool-1.5.8, libtool-1.5.2, libtool-1.5
>  (CVS) GNU libtool 1.1773 2004/12/03 11:28:45
> 
> * libtool versions tested and not affected:
>  libtool-1.4 libtool-1.4.2 libtool-1.4.3
>  Note: libtool-1.4 will chose /bin/sh as interpreter.

What kind of shell is /bin/sh?  What other shells exist in $PATH?

> * the two testing-Platforms:
> SunOS xxxxxxxx 5.6 Generic_105181-29 sun4u sparc SUNW,Ultra-5_10
> GNU Make version 3.79.1
> automake (GNU automake) 1.4
> gcc version 2.95.3 20010315 (release)
> strings /bin/ksh  | grep Ver # returns: @(#)Version M-11/16/88i

FYI: the easiest way to find out the version string I know of is
$ set -o emacs
$ ^V            # type: control-V

> SunOS xxxxxxxx 5.7 Generic_106541-18 sun4u sparc SUNW,Ultra-4
> GNU Make 3.80
> autoconf (GNU Autoconf) 2.59
> automake (GNU automake) 1.9.3
> gcc version 3.3.5
> strings /bin/ksh | grep Ver # returns @(#)Version M-11/16/88i
> 
> possible workarounds:
>  * eliminate all occurances of " ksh " in .configure
>   after this, configure will choose /usr/local/bin/bash

I'm pretty sure this will break some other systems.
So, this is a no-no.  But anyway configure should try bash before trying
ksh.  Is /usr/local/bin not in your path?  What bash is this?

>  * install bash as /bin/bash

Well, yes, but you'd have to be root.  Also a no-no.

>  * ignore the failed test :-(

No, that's not good, because libtool will break in some (maybe corner)
cases.  Here's a list of good workarounds:

* CONFIG_SHELL=/usr/local/bin/bash ./configure
  Does that work?
* Adjust $PATH so bash can be found within
  (if this does not work, please report back; that would be a bug as
  well).

or something like that.

But we need to fix the echo detection routine as well, I fear.

What does
  print -r '\t \\ \$ \`'
print under the Korn shells used?  It should print
\t \\ \$ \`

Furthermore, it might prove interesting to see the output of
  $SHELL_USED -x configure [CONFIGURE-OPTIONS]  >log-of-configure 2>&1

Since output is bound to be huge, please mail to me rather than to the
list, and also use gzip or preferably bzip2.  I can post a summary to
the list afterwards.

Regards,
Ralf