Octave @3.6.4_10+docs: docs fail to build with Texinfo 5 active

[Andrew@…]

Hi,

I have a completely fresh MacPorts install I've tried:

sudo port clean octave
sudo port selfupdate
sudo port upgrade outdated
sudo port install octave +docs use_parallel_build=no

I already have gotten atlas installed I get the following warning

WARNING: Dependency 'arpack' is installed with the +accelerate variant, using Apple's Vector Libraries which have known bugs that can cause Octave to crash if using certain functions in arpack.  The +atlas variant does not have these issues with Octave, and is considered by Octave developers a better way to go

So, I tried adding +atlas (which I had in before anyway) and the same warning occurs The error message on the screen is:

--->  Building octave
Error: org.macports.build for port octave returned: command execution failed
Please see the log file for port octave for details:
    /opt/local/var/macports/logs/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_release_tarballs_ports_math_octave/octave/main.log
To report a bug, follow the instructions in the guide:
    http://guide.macports.org/#project.tickets
Error: Processing of port octave failed

Log file attached/opt/local/var/macports/logs/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_release_tarballs_ports_math_octave/octave/main.log

[Andrew@…]

Log File

[ryandesign (Ryan Carsten Schmidt)]

Some kind of texinfo problem? The last lines of the log deal with .texi files. The texinfo port was updated to 5.2 last week; maybe that's a problem for octave.

[michaelld (Michael Dickens)]

1) I recommend you install arpack with +atlas:

sudo port -f uninstall `port installed | grep arpack | sed -e 's@(active)@@g'`
sudo port install arpack +atlas +gcc48

As the warning says, using +accelerate can lead to computational issues in octave.

2) Have you tried updating, cleaning, and so forth?

sudo port clean octave
sudo port selfupdate
sudo port install octave +gcc48 +docs +atlas

Maybe those will help. If not, please compress the log file before uploading it next time :)

[Andrew@…]

Log File (zipped ;)

[Andrew@…]

I'm now not getting the warning about arpack

Not really sure how to go back a version with texinfo - I looked at ​https://trac.macports.org/wiki/howto/InstallingOlderPort and downloaded the Portfile for the version before 5.2 - and tried

sudo port install

but I got an error

Error: Unable to execute port: Could not open file: /Volumes/Macintosh HD/Users/snelsona/Downloads/Portfile

Wasn't sure how to invoke the other commands to try to get a different version (as I'm a bit of a newbie to Macports)

[michaelld (Michael Dickens)]

ok; so arpack is good now. The issue with octave is the same as before, something to do with the way .texi files are being handled:

[snip]
:info:build octave.texi:132: warning: @end should only appear at a line beginning
:info:build ./strings.texi:1139: @itemx must follow @item
[snip]
:info:build make[3]: *** [octave.info] Error 1
:info:build make[3]: Leaving directory `/opt/local/var/macports/build/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_release_tarballs_ports_math_octave/octave/work/octave-3.6.4/doc/interpreter'

Building octave works on my 10.8 setup; I'll try it on my 10.9 boot hopefully later today. You're running on 10.9, so I'm guessing it's specific to that OSX version.

A key difference in the log file between mine and yours is that yours is trying to rebuild the .texi documentation, while mine is not. I have the latest MacPorts installed and updated, so, again probably a difference in the OSX version.

If you don't think you need documentation, you can always do:

sudo port clean octave
sudo port install octave -docs +atlas +gcc48

and maybe that will succeed.

[michaelld (Michael Dickens)]

Installing "octave -docs +atlas +gcc48" worked for me on my 10.9 drive. I'll try with +docs hopefully tomorrow on that drive to see if I get the same error as you.

[Andrew@…]

Thanks Michael,

sudo port clean octave
sudo port install octave -docs +atlas  +gcc48

worked!!!

Unfortunately, I'm going to need the docs (I'm doing an online course on Machine Learning). If I try to install the docs will that break it? If not, what should I try.

Thanks for your help.

[larryv (Lawrence Velázquez)]

The problem is that I updated texinfo to 5.2 in r114639. Texinfo 5 is a lot stricter than Texinfo 4, and the docs in our current Octave release are just too sloppy for 5. The incompatibilities ​seem to have been fixed in development, so we could patch the docs.

Alternatively, we could change the port:texinfo dependency to bin:makeinfo:texinfo, as OS X 10.8 and 10.9 already provide parts of Texinfo 4.8. (I don’t know about earlier versions, so we might have to patch the docs anyway, but at least this would fix +docs builds on recent systems.)

[larryv (Lawrence Velázquez)]

Cc Me!

[larryv (Lawrence Velázquez)]

adjust Texinfo dependency

[larryv (Lawrence Velázquez)]

Andrew, can you try running the following?

% sudo port deactivate octave
% curl 'https://trac.macports.org/raw-attachment/ticket/41857/Portfile-octave.diff' | sudo patch $(port file octave)
% sudo port install octave +docs +atlas +gcc48

(The deactivate step is to make sure your presently-functional installation can be restored easily with sudo port activate octave.)

[Andrew@…]

Log File to try +docs on custom Portfile

[Andrew@…]

Hi Larry,

Tried that - didn't work.

But the re-activation did --- whew :)

[gnw3]

Your log seems to be using macports makeinfo. If you deactivate texinfo you should see a log entry like:

:debug:main Found Dependency: path: /usr/bin filename: makeinfo regex: ^makeinfo$

At least for Snow Leopard, however, the system texinfo is too old, so the log has entries:

:info:build /opt/local/var/macports/build/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_www.\
macports.org_files_ports_math_octave/octave/work/\
octave-3.6.4/doc/interpreter//matrix.texi:1297: Unknown command `leq'
:info:build /opt/local/var/macports/build/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_www.\
macports.org_files_ports_math_octave/octave/work/\
octave-3.6.4/doc/interpreter//matrix.texi:1297: Misplaced {.

[gnw3]

Cc Me!

[larryv (Lawrence Velázquez)]

Apologies. gnwiii is correct; you need to also deactivate texinfo.

% sudo port deactivate octave texinfo
% sudo port install octave +docs +atlas +gcc48

[Andrew@…]

Texinfo Deactivated

[Andrew@…]

Nope - A lot quicker this time - but failed.

[gnw3]

Replying to Andrew@…:

Nope - A lot quicker this time - but failed.

Can you verify that you see the messages indicating that the system makeinfo is being used and that the errors are the same as comment #11? If so then Apple's texinfo is too old and macports's too new. Here is the key data you need:

$ /opt/local/bin/kpsewhich texinfo.tex
/opt/local/share/texmf/tex/texinfo/texinfo.tex
$ /opt/local/bin/kpsewhich -expand-var \$TEXMF
{/Users/gwhite/.texlive2013/texmf-config,/Users/gwhite/.texlive2013/texmf-var,/Users/gwhite/Library/texmf,!!/opt/local/etc/texmf,!!/opt/local/var/db/texmf,!!/opt/local/share/texmf-local,!!/opt/local/share/texmf,!!/opt/local/share/texmf-texlive}

On my system, "locate texinfo.tex | wc -l" finds 28 copies of "texinfo.tex", but only 10 versions:

$ awk  -v FS='\\' '/\\def\\texinfoversion/{print $NF}' $(locate texinfo.tex) | sort -u
texinfoversion{2006-10-04.17}
texinfoversion{2008-04-18.10}
texinfoversion{2009-01-18.17}
texinfoversion{2009-05-16.16}
texinfoversion{2009-08-14.15}
texinfoversion{2009-11-15.11}
texinfoversion{2012-01-03.09}
texinfoversion{2013-02-01.11}
texinfoversion{2013-09-10.16}
texinfoversion{2013-09-11.11}

Many programs avoid problems by including the version that works with their docs. There are more copies on the web. I assume octave can't easily provide "texinfo.tex" because documentation isn't all in one place.

Try putting yet another "texinfo.tex" version in "~/Library/texmf/tex/texinfo" and using macport's makeinfo. I used "/opt/local/share/automake-1.14/texinfo.tex". After you copy the other version you can verify that it is found using "/opt/local/bin/kpsewhich" and run the build step (here I'm using the original Portfile to force use of macports' texinfo):

$ mkdir -p ~/Library/texmf/tex/texinfo
$ cp  -p /opt/local/share/automake-1.14/texinfo.tex ~/Library/texmf/tex/texinfo
$ /opt/local/bin/kpsewhich texinfo.tex
/Users/gwhite/Library/texmf/tex/texinfo/texinfo.tex
$ sudo port build octave +atlas+docs+fltk+gcc48+x11
$ sudo port install octave +atlas+docs+fltk+gcc48+x11
$ rm ~/Library/texmf/tex/texinfo/texinfo.tex

[larryv (Lawrence Velázquez)]

Has likely duplicate #41945.

[larryv (Lawrence Velázquez)]

Has duplicate #42022.

I will try to fix this tonight.

[larryv (Lawrence Velázquez)]

Replying to larryv@…:

I will try to fix this tonight.

Uh. So that didn’t happen. But it did tonight! Run port selfupdate in 30 minutes to receive the updated port.

r115856