root: configure fails when file port is installed and xorg-libX11 is universal

[ryandesign (Ryan Carsten Schmidt)]

The root port fails to install if the file port is installed, and the xorg-libX11 port is installed with the universal variant.

The root port's configure script attempts to verify that its dependencies are installed for the correct architectures. While this is a fine goal, it does so using the file command and grepping the output for "64-bit". Apple's version of the file command shipped with Mac OS X does have this output for universal and non-universal 64-bit files, but the file port's file command only does this for non-universal files; it doesn't understand universal files.

The simplest solution for us is to just rip out this architecture verification code from root's configure script, since MacPorts base already includes architecture verification code.

[ryandesign (Ryan Carsten Schmidt)]

Sorry, duplicate of #31260.

[cjones051073 (Chris Jones)]

Ok, this appears to be outside the realms of the various options I tried.

If I follow correctly, the real problem is with MacPorts 'file' port, so we the simplest solution is to get wait for this to be fixed ?

Getting a fix into ROOT itself will be difficult I think ...

Chris

[ryandesign (Ryan Carsten Schmidt)]

#11747 has been open for 4.5 years; I doubt it will be fixed soon.

Whether the developers of root wish to make their software work or not is up to them; if they don't, we can patch it locally so that it works for us.

[cjones051073 (Chris Jones)]

OK....

The age of the bug report against file is not really relevant, regardless, it is still it seems the reason for the problems with root.

if there is a way to patch this in root, let me know and I'll give it a try.

cheers Chris

[ryandesign (Ryan Carsten Schmidt)]

There are a couple approaches you could use.

1. call /usr/bin/file instead of file
2. delete the entire function that involves the calls to file (or rather replace them with no-ops that always set the flag variable to true) since they're not needed within the confines of MacPorts