Fails to install any octave-* packages (possible reason: "unable to find the mkoctfile command")

[alatina (Andrea L)]

My macports fails to install any octave-* packages. Example:

sudo port install octave-general
--->  Computing dependencies for octave-general
--->  Configuring octave-general
Error: Failed to configure octave-general: configure failure: command execution failed
Error: See /opt/local/var/macports/logs/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_release_tarballs_ports_math_octave-general/octave-general/main.log for details.
Error: Follow https://guide.macports.org/#project.tickets to report a bug.
Error: Processing of port octave-general failed

If I try the same within octave, it also fails but explains why:

octave:1> pkg install -forge general
pkg: unable to find the mkoctfile command, Octave installation is incomplete
error: called from
    __gripe_missing_component__ at line 53 column 3
    configure_make at line 40 column 7
    install at line 184 column 7
    pkg at line 437 column 9

Apparently it does not find the 'mkoctfile' command....

I do have the very latest macport of octave installed.

[jmroot (Joshua Root)]

Please attach the log for octave-general.

[alatina (Andrea L)]

log for octave-general

[alatina (Andrea L)]

main.log for octtave-general attached!

[Schamschula (Marius Schamschula)]

Why are you installing a package from within octave?

Under MacPorts, octave packages are supplied as ports. Thus, if you want to install the general package you run the following command:

sudo port install octave-general

This will install any other octave package dependencies, if needed.

[alatina (Andrea L)]

Yes, I know I should do it through macports. My attempt to install the package from within octave was just because

sudo port install octave-general

fails.

The attempt from within octave failed as well, with the same error: "unable to find the mkoctfile command, Octave installation is incomplete" main.log file, line 140.

[Schamschula (Marius Schamschula)]

What does

ls -l /opt/local/bin/mkoctfile

say?

[MarcusCalhoun-Lopez (Marcus Calhoun-Lopez)]

There is no need to CC the reporter.

I believe this error is a result of a recent change to octave.
I am working on a fix.

[Schamschula (Marius Schamschula)]

Even though octave @4.4.0_4 shows the correct path to mkoctfile, in my case /opt/local/bin/mkoctfile, which is a symlink to /opt/local/bin/mkoctfile-4.x.x, the pkg command can't find it.

[raimue (Rainer Müller)]

Replying to MarcusCalhoun-Lopez:

There is no need to CC the reporter.

Off topic: As of Trac 1.2 users can opt-out from notifications, while reporters where forced to receive notifications before. Please no longer remove the reporter from CC, as you cannot know their Trac preferences.

[alatina (Andrea L)]

Indeed, mkoctfile exists and is a symlink to mkoctfile-4.x.x. It works, at least from the command line:

macbe16641:~ andrea$ ls -l /opt/local/bin/mkoctfile
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 15 Jun 13 09:57 /opt/local/bin/mkoctfile -> mkoctfile-4.x.x
macbe16641:~ andrea$ /opt/local/bin/mkoctfile --version
mkoctfile, version 4.4.0

[MarcusCalhoun-Lopez (Marcus Calhoun-Lopez)]

Replying to raimue:

Off topic: As of Trac 1.2 users can ​opt-out from notifications, while reporters where forced to receive notifications before. Please no longer remove the reporter from CC, as you cannot know their Trac preferences.

Thank you for the information.
I was unaware of the change and was giving out bad advice.

[MarcusCalhoun-Lopez (Marcus Calhoun-Lopez)]

Replying to alatina:

Indeed, mkoctfile exists and is a symlink to mkoctfile-4.x.x. It works, at least from the command line:

This is definitely a problem with the octave port.

mkoctfile-4.x.x exists, but octave is looking for mkoctfile-4.4.0, which does not exist.
This is due to a mistake in a recent change, which in turn was trying to fix another problem.

I think I know a fix to both problems, but it may take me a day or two to find the time to implement it.

[alatina (Andrea L)]

Replying to MarcusCalhoun-Lopez:

Replying to alatina:

Indeed, mkoctfile exists and is a symlink to mkoctfile-4.x.x. It works, at least from the command line:

This is definitely a problem with the octave port.

mkoctfile-4.x.x exists, but octave is looking for mkoctfile-4.4.0, which does not exist.
This is due to a mistake in a recent change, which in turn was trying to fix another problem.

I think I know a fix to both problems, but it may take me a day or two to find the time to implement it.

Alright, take your time.

At least now I know what workaround I can use to temporarily fix the problem. Thanks a lot!

[alatina (Andrea L)]

Replying to alatina:

Replying to MarcusCalhoun-Lopez:

Replying to alatina:

Indeed, mkoctfile exists and is a symlink to mkoctfile-4.x.x. It works, at least from the command line:

This is definitely a problem with the octave port.

mkoctfile-4.x.x exists, but octave is looking for mkoctfile-4.4.0, which does not exist.
This is due to a mistake in a recent change, which in turn was trying to fix another problem.

I think I know a fix to both problems, but it may take me a day or two to find the time to implement it.

Alright, take your time.

At least bow I know what workaround I can use to temporarily fix the problem. Thanks a lot!

For the records, the workaround (i.e. creating a link to mkoctfile-4.x.x called mkoctfile-4.4.0) didn't really work. So, I will just wait for your fix.

[Marcus Calhoun-Lopez <marcuscalhounlopez@…>]

In 97d2fd0566579f5f41400ccb164a8920929d4639/macports-ports (master):

ocatve: stop modifying OCTAVE_VERSION variable

Modifying OCTAVE_VERSION caused problems
See #56624
See #56659

Fixes #56659

Instead, attempt to prevent unnecessary revbumps by changing the
identification names of libraries