gmp @6.1.2 configure: error: cannot find output from flex; giving up

[stefan-c-kremer]

--->  Configuring gmp
Error: Failed to configure gmp, consult /opt/local/var/macports/build/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_macports_release_tarballs_ports_devel_gmp/gmp/work/gmp-6.1.2/config.log
Error: Failed to configure gmp: configure failure: command execution failed
Error: See /opt/local/var/macports/logs/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_macports_release_tarballs_ports_devel_gmp/gmp/main.log for details.

1020	:info:configure checking for bison... bison -y
1021	:info:configure checking for flex... flex
1022	:info:configure checking lex output file root... configure: error: cannot find output from flex; giving up
1023	:info:configure Command failed:  cd "/opt/local/var/macports/build/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_macports_release_tarballs_ports_devel_gmp/gmp/work/gmp-6.1.2" && ./configure --prefix=/opt/local --enable-cxx
1024	:info:configure Exit code: 1

[stefan-c-kremer]

/opt/local/var/macports/logs/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_macports_release_tarballs_ports_devel_gmp/gmp/main.log

[stefan-c-kremer]

/opt/local/var/macports/build/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_macports_release_tarballs_ports_devel_gmp/gmp/work/gmp-6.1.2/config.log

[stefan-c-kremer]

--->  Configuring gmp
Error: Failed to configure gmp, consult /opt/local/var/macports/build/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_macports_release_tarballs_ports_devel_gmp/gmp/work/gmp-6.1.2/config.log
Error: Failed to configure gmp: configure failure: command execution failed
Error: See /opt/local/var/macports/logs/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_macports_release_tarballs_ports_devel_gmp/gmp/main.log for details.
Error: Follow https://guide.macports.org/#project.tickets to report a bug.
Error: Processing of port gmp failed

[stefan-c-kremer]

It seems that I can

./configure; make; make check; make install

without any difficulties in the source directory.

[kencu (Ken)]

This strikes me as another example of the APFS race condition we've been seeing with gcc builds.

Stefan, if you know how, could you try changing this in the portfile, and see if that works:

use_parallel_build  yes

to

use_parallel_build  no

[stefan-c-kremer]

Replying to kencu:

This strikes me as another example of the APFS race condition we've been seeing with gcc builds.

Stefan, if you know how, could you try changing this in the portfile, and see if that works:

use_parallel_build  yes

to

use_parallel_build  no

Hi Ken:

Where is the "portfile". If I can find it I can make the change. -Stefan

[kencu (Ken)]

you would so something like this:

bbedit `port file gmp`

make your changes, save them, and then

sudo port -v install gmp

and see if that works.

[stefan-c-kremer]

I made the change to the file. But the result is unchanged:

checking readline detected... yes
checking for bison... bison -y
checking for flex... flex
checking lex output file root... configure: error: cannot find output from flex; giving up
Command failed:  cd "/opt/local/var/macports/build/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_macports_release_tarballs_ports_devel_gmp/gmp/work/gmp-6.1.2" && ./configure --prefix=/opt/local --enable-cxx 
Exit code: 1
Error: Failed to configure gmp, consult /opt/local/var/macports/build/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_macports_release_tarballs_ports_devel_gmp/gmp/work/gmp-6.1.2/config.log
Error: Failed to configure gmp: configure failure: command execution failed
Error: See /opt/local/var/macports/logs/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_macports_release_tarballs_ports_devel_gmp/gmp/main.log for details.
Error: Follow https://guide.macports.org/#project.tickets to report a bug.
Error: Processing of port gmp failed

[kencu (Ken)]

Permissions thing?

4977	configure:27911: found /usr/bin/flex
4978	configure:27922: result: flex
4979	configure:27960: flex conftest.l
4980	flex: error writing output file lex.yy.c
4981	configure:27964: $? = 1
4982	configure:27966: checking lex output file root
4983	configure:27977: error: cannot find output from flex; giving up

[stefan-c-kremer]

I'm running with sudo.

[stefan-c-kremer]

When it tried to do that step manually:

Command failed:  cd "/opt/local/var/macports/build/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_macports_release_tarballs_ports_devel_gmp/gmp/work/gmp-6.1.2" && ./configure --prefix=/opt/local --enable-cxx 
Exit code: 1

Typing:

cd "/opt/local/var/macports/build/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_macports_release_tarballs_ports_devel_gmp/gmp/work/gmp-6.1.2"
sudo ./configure --prefix=/opt/local --enable-cxx

it ends with:

config.status: linking mpn/x86_64/coreihwl/gmp-mparam.h to gmp-mparam.h
config.status: executing libtool commands
configure: summary of build options:

  Version:           GNU MP 6.1.2
  Host type:         haswell-apple-darwin17.0.0
  ABI:               64
  Install prefix:    /opt/local
  Compiler:          gcc
  Static libraries:  yes
  Shared libraries:  yes

$ echo $?
0

[stefan-c-kremer]

Solved!

sudo port -v install m4
sudo port -v clean gmp
sudo port -v install gmp
sudo port -f activate gmp

Is there a missing dependency between gmp and m4? I got a hint here: #36450

[kencu (Ken)]

that's progress!

Something's a bit funny, though -- it should have built. The buildbots build it OK.

-- MacPorts flex has a dep on m4. Your configure.log said it was using the systems /usr/bin/flex -- there already is /usr/bin/m4, so that should have worked.

I wonder if you had MacPort's flex installed, but not MacPort's m4, so by the path settings that got called by the script instead of /usr/bin/flex, but there was no MacPorts m4, so it died .... kind of a circuitous route to failure.

I can't even deactivate m4 without an announcement that flex will break...

[ryandesign (Ryan Carsten Schmidt)]

Replying to stefan-c-kremer:

1022	:info:configure checking lex output file root... configure: error: cannot find output from flex; giving up

Someone else reported the same flex error when configuring gdbm; see #55152.

[ryandesign (Ryan Carsten Schmidt)]

In #55152, the user was able to solve the problem by uninstalling other software, particularly Homebrew, that might have been conflicting. Do you have Homebrew installed, and if so, do you have flex installed with Homebrew?

[stefan-c-kremer]

I never used Homebrew, but I installed MacPorts a very long time ago on a different computer. I migrated it from one machine to another as I upgraded my hardware. -Stefan

[MarcusCalhoun-Lopez (Marcus Calhoun-Lopez)]

I am closing this ticket since we are unable to reproduce the problem, and a fix was found for the particular situation.
Please feel free to reopen if this problem crops up in other places.