Unable to Upgrade xar or python27 - Fails to configure

[RobK88]

Macports just upgraded clang, lvmm etc on my Mac running Lion.

Now I cannot upgrade or install virtually ANY package since Macports is unable to upgrade xar.

sudo port clean xarPassword:
--->  Cleaning xar
Grinchs-Mac-Pro:~ grinch$ sudo port upgrade xar--->  Computing dependencies for python27
--->  Configuring python27
Error: Failed to configure python27, consult /opt/local/var/macports/build/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_release_tarballs_ports_lang_python27/python27/work/Python-2.7.16/config.log
Error: Failed to configure python27: configure failure: command execution failed
Error: See /opt/local/var/macports/logs/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_release_tarballs_ports_lang_python27/python27/main.log for details.
Error: Follow https://guide.macports.org/#project.tickets to report a bug.
Grinchs-Mac-Pro:~ grinch$ 
Grinchs-Mac-Pro:~ grinch$ sudo port upgrade python27--->  Computing dependencies for xar
--->  Fetching distfiles for xar
--->  Verifying checksums for xar
--->  Extracting xar
--->  Applying patches to xar
--->  Configuring xar
Error: Failed to configure xar, consult /opt/local/var/macports/build/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_release_tarballs_ports_archivers_xar/xar/work/xar-1.6.1/xar/config.log
Error: Failed to configure xar: configure failure: command execution failed
Error: See /opt/local/var/macports/logs/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_release_tarballs_ports_archivers_xar/xar/main.log for details.
Error: Follow https://guide.macports.org/#project.tickets to report a bug.

[kencu (Ken)]

I had the same problem yesterday. All clangs after about clang-5.0 depend on xar, so yep, this broke them all.

clang 3.7 does not depend on xar, so if you have that, that works. Otherwise just your system clang, or clang 3.4, should work. Once xar is rebuilt, all your newer clangs will work again. Here's what I did:

sudo port -v upgrade xar configure.compiler=macports-clang-3.7

We'll have to watch for this when we do changes that break xar!

[RobK88]

Thanks for the tip. But I still am unable to upgrade xar using clang-3.7. (I also tried clang-3.4 and just clang with no luck)

Grinchs-Mac-Pro:~ grinch$ sudo port clean xar
--->  Cleaning xar
Grinchs-Mac-Pro:~ grinch$ sudo port -v upgrade xar configure.compiler=macports-clang-3.7
--->  Computing dependencies for python27.
--->  Configuring python27
Executing:  cd "/opt/local/var/macports/build/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_release_tarballs_ports_lang_python27/python27/work/Python-2.7.16" && ./configure --prefix=/opt/local --enable-framework=/opt/local/Library/Frameworks --enable-ipv6 --with-system-expat --with-system-ffi 
checking build system type... x86_64-apple-darwin11.4.2
checking host system type... x86_64-apple-darwin11.4.2
checking for python2.7... python2.7
checking for --enable-universalsdk... no
checking for --with-universal-archs... no
checking MACHDEP... darwin
checking EXTRAPLATDIR... $(PLATMACDIRS)
checking for --without-gcc... no
checking for --with-icc... no
checking for gcc... /opt/local/bin/clang-mp-3.7
checking whether the C compiler works... no
configure: error: in `/opt/local/var/macports/build/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_release_tarballs_ports_lang_python27/python27/work/Python-2.7.16':
configure: error: C compiler cannot create executables
See `config.log' for more details
Command failed:  cd "/opt/local/var/macports/build/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_release_tarballs_ports_lang_python27/python27/work/Python-2.7.16" && ./configure --prefix=/opt/local --enable-framework=/opt/local/Library/Frameworks --enable-ipv6 --with-system-expat --with-system-ffi 
Exit code: 77
Error: Failed to configure python27, consult /opt/local/var/macports/build/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_release_tarballs_ports_lang_python27/python27/work/Python-2.7.16/config.log
Error: Failed to configure python27: configure failure: command execution failed
Error: See /opt/local/var/macports/logs/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_release_tarballs_ports_lang_python27/python27/main.log for details.
Error: Follow https://guide.macports.org/#project.tickets to report a bug.
Grinchs-Mac-Pro:~ grinch$ 

[kencu (Ken)]

we'll have to find at least one compiler on your system that still works. The system clang should work still! So should clang-3.7.

Clean, and force clang-3.7, and pop up your config.log so we can see how it died.

[RobK88]

Here is the config log after trying to build xar using clang-3.7

[RobK88]

Config.log after trying to build xar using clang-3.7

[kencu (Ken)]

hmm. still pulling in the (broken) xar.

And the system clang?

sudo port -v upgrade xar configure.compiler=clang

[RobK88]

Thanks that worked using just clang. I swear that I tried that before. But maybe I forgot to clean the port first.

Again. Many thanks for getting my toolchain working again.

[jmroot (Joshua Root)]

I take it you are using LibcxxOnOlderSystems – it's helpful to mention when you are not using a standard installation. Anyway, this shouldn't be a problem with MacPorts 2.6 (currently in beta), provided you remove the custom default_compilers setting from macports.conf.

[RobK88]

Yes. I am using libc++ as recommended for older Mac systems (like mine running Lion). Please forgive me for forgetting to point this out in this ticket.

And thanks you for pointing out that I should have fewer problems with MacPorts 2.6 provided I remove the custom default_compilers setting from macports.conf.

[kencu (Ken)]

Everyone using LibcxxOnOlderSystems is likely going to run into this. Not many are using MacPorts 2.6 yet. Might leave it open, but up to you.

Even with the new setup, once someone on 10.6.8 has clang-8.0 installed, my understanding is that MacPorts will then try to use that preferentially -- and if we have this same issue with a broken xar again, clang-8.0 will be broken -- unless I'm missing something.

[RobK88]

We will have to wait and see what happens with Macports 2.6. Once Macports 2.6 is out of beta, I will upgrade. Then I will report any bugs that I encounter.

If xar fails to compile in Macports 2.6, I will try to compile it using older versions of clang.

Looks like this ticket is now closed. At least this ticket provides a workaround if someone searches for it.

[jmroot (Joshua Root)]

Replying to kencu:

Even with the new setup, once someone on 10.6.8 has clang-8.0 installed, my understanding is that MacPorts will then try to use that preferentially -- and if we have this same issue with a broken xar again, clang-8.0 will be broken -- unless I'm missing something.

10.6 may indeed be worse. On 10.7 the system clang will be used though.

This isn't a xar issue so much as an issue that will be encountered whenever any of the ports that the default compiler depends on break ABI. It would be safer not to use port-provided compilers to build any of the ports that those compilers depend on. Currently it's only avoided if the compiler ports are not already installed as a compromise, since using a newer compiler was considered to be better if possible.