BUG: zsh-devel is built against /usr/include/curses.h and linked with MacPorts ncurses

[vinc17@…]

"otool -L =zsh" shows that zsh-devel is dynamically linked against the MacPorts ncurses library: /opt/local/lib/libncurses.5.dylib

But it is built using "/usr/include/curses.h"! This can be shown by cd'ing to Src/Modules and using the line output by "make" after replacing "-o ..." by "-E":

prunille:...4.3.4/Src/Modules> /usr/bin/gcc-4.0 -c -I. -I/opt/local/include -DHAVE_CONFIG_H -DMODULE -O2 -fno-common terminfo.c -E | grep 'include.*curses'
# 1 "/usr/include/curses.h" 1 3 4
# 58 "/usr/include/curses.h" 3 4
# 1 "/usr/include/ncurses_dll.h" 1 3 4
# 59 "/usr/include/curses.h" 2 3 4
# 99 "/usr/include/curses.h" 3 4
# 1 "/usr/include/curses.h" 1 3 4
# 103 "/usr/include/curses.h" 2 3 4
# 126 "/usr/include/curses.h" 3 4
# 136 "/usr/include/curses.h" 3 4
# 137 "/usr/include/curses.h" 2 3 4
# 174 "/usr/include/curses.h" 3 4
# 192 "/usr/include/curses.h" 3 4
# 282 "/usr/include/curses.h" 3 4
# 318 "/usr/include/curses.h" 3 4
# 501 "/usr/include/curses.h" 3 4
# 1398 "/usr/include/curses.h" 3 4
# 1442 "/usr/include/curses.h" 3 4

The problem is that the current zsh version only uses #include <curses.h> lines and that the ncurses port doesn't install curses compatibility symlinks. I mentioned the problem a year ago in the macports-dev list (subject: "compatibility symbolic links for ncurses and ncursesw"), but no-one replied (see also bug #12605 reported by someone else).

I sometimes get zsh crashes under Mac OS X when it has been sleeping for a long time (e.g. after a long ssh session to some other machine), just before the prompt is displayed (I do not have this problem under Debian). I wonder if the cause can be this build problem.

FYI, this bug will be fixed upstream in the next zsh version (see zsh-workers mailing-list, subject "zsh-4.3.4-dev-2.tar.gz").

[nox@…]

I think a simple reinplace in termcap.c and terminfo.c will fix this.

[nox@…]

r31399. Thanks for reporting.

% /usr/bin/gcc-4.0 -c -I. -I/opt/local/include -DHAVE_CONFIG_H -DMODULE -O2 -fno-common terminfo.c -E | fgrep curses.h
# 1 "/usr/include/ncurses.h" 1 3 4
# 58 "/usr/include/ncurses.h" 3 4
# 59 "/usr/include/ncurses.h" 2 3 4
# 99 "/usr/include/ncurses.h" 3 4
# 1 "/usr/include/curses.h" 1 3 4
# 103 "/usr/include/ncurses.h" 2 3 4
# 126 "/usr/include/ncurses.h" 3 4
# 136 "/usr/include/ncurses.h" 3 4
# 137 "/usr/include/ncurses.h" 2 3 4
# 174 "/usr/include/ncurses.h" 3 4
# 192 "/usr/include/ncurses.h" 3 4
# 282 "/usr/include/ncurses.h" 3 4
# 318 "/usr/include/ncurses.h" 3 4
# 501 "/usr/include/ncurses.h" 3 4
# 1398 "/usr/include/ncurses.h" 3 4
# 1442 "/usr/include/ncurses.h" 3 4

[vinc17@…]

/usr/include/ncurses.h is incorrect (this is just a symlink to curses.h, but this is not a header file from MacPorts). One needs to use the ncurses.h from MacPorts, which is, since zsh-devel depends on ncurses:

prunille:~> port contents ncurses | grep ncurses.h
  /opt/local/include/ncurses/ncurses.h

So, instead of replacing curses.h by ncurses.h, it needs to be replaced by ncurses/ncurses.h, probably with:

reinplace "s|curses\\.h|ncurses/ncurses.h|"

(not tested).

[nox@…]

Mh, you're right! I don't know why I've done that. Thanks! I think I'll append -I${prefix}/include/ncurses to the cppflags instead of modifying the reinplace regular expression.

[nox@…]

Sorry Vincent, but could you take care of this bug? I'm fighting against hordes of hideous kernel panics and I think I'm going to loose this battle, so I'm currently backing up all my data and I haven't got the time to fix this port.

[vinc17@…]

Portfile for zsh-devel 4.3.4-dev-5 (will be close to 4.3.5)

[vinc17@…]

For those who are interested in testing a development version, I've attached a Portfile for zsh-devel 4.3.4-dev-5, which will be close to 4.3.5 (that should be released soon).

[vinc17@…]

I forgot to say concerning this Portfile:

• The bug is fixed in this version (so that I could remove post-patch). In fact, zsh is now linked against ncursesw. So, the dependency should be modified...
  
• I've added a debug variant.

[nox@…]

r33751.

[(none)]

Milestone Port Bugs deleted