visualpython-users

[Visualpython-users] Aqua port - stumped by autoconf

[Dethe E. <de...@li...>]

Hi folks,

I've finally gotten some time to look at porting VPython to OS X  
Aqua.  I've got Boost.python installed, and stubbed in the platmac.[h| 
cpp], and the osxgl.[h|cpp], but I'm having no luck getting a working  
configure file to compile it.  When I run autoconf I get a configure  
file, but running aclocal tells me:

aclocal: macro `AM_PATH_GTK' required but not defined

But GTK shouldn't be required, so how do I turn that off?  I can  
delete the offending line from acinclude.m4, but that still leaves me  
with my next problem, which is that when I run the resulting  
configure script it complains that in the line:

AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE( visual, 3.2.3)

that the symbol "visual" is unknown.

I'm not an avid user of autoconf or even configure, and after poking  
around in it for a day or so, I'm not any more enlightened. Can  
anyone tell me what I'm doing that's stupid and hosing the build?

--Dethe

This [the adoption of open source software] isn't just my idea, or  
Brazil's idea. It's the idea of our time. The complexity of our times  
demands it." --Gilberto Gil, Brazilian Minister of Culture

Re: [Visualpython-users] Aqua port - stumped by autoconf

[Jonathan B. <jbr...@ea...>]

On Tue, 2005-10-18 at 22:47 -0700, Dethe Elza wrote:
> Hi folks,
> 
> I've finally gotten some time to look at porting VPython to OS X  
> Aqua.

Excellent!

>   I've got Boost.python installed, and stubbed in the platmac.[h| 
> cpp], and the osxgl.[h|cpp], but I'm having no luck getting a working  
> configure file to compile it.  When I run autoconf I get a configure  
> file, but running aclocal tells me:
> 
> aclocal: macro `AM_PATH_GTK' required but not defined
> 
> But GTK shouldn't be required, so how do I turn that off?

Generating the configure script is much more difficult than actually
running it, since it is designed to determine settings on every platform
that Visual can run on.  Therefore, you actually do need GTK installed
(or at least its .m4 files).

I face a similar problem when rebuilding configure using MinGW on
Windows.  To work around it, I have a copy of gtk.m4 and pkg.m4 in
VPython's CVS.  Look under vpython/share/aclocal.  Copy those files to
$prefix/share/aclocal.  You will probably have an easier time getting
autoconf, automake, and libtool to work if you use the packages in Fink.
In that case, you will want to copy the .m4 files
into /sw/share/aclocal, but only if they are not already included in
Fink's GTK 1.2 development package.

>   I can  
> delete the offending line from acinclude.m4, but that still leaves me  
> with my next problem, which is that when I run the resulting  
> configure script it complains that in the line:
> 
> AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE( visual, 3.2.3)

What is the current version of automake and autoconf on your system?

> that the symbol "visual" is unknown.
> 
> I'm not an avid user of autoconf or even configure, and after poking  
> around in it for a day or so, I'm not any more enlightened. Can  
> anyone tell me what I'm doing that's stupid and hosing the build?

I've given a few guesses above, but also see the file autogen.sh in the
top-level of VPython's source tree (maybe only in CVS).  It is what I
use to sequence the operation of the autotools when building the
configure scripts themselves.

-Jonathan

Re: [Visualpython-users] Aqua port - stumped by autoconf

[Dethe E. <de...@li...>]

Hi Jonathan,

Thanks!  That got me one step further.  Now it is looking for  
install.sh, which I don't see in the CVS tree.  Where do I find this?

I'm sure it would be easier if I installed Fink, but part of the  
justification for this whole exercise is that I don't want to a)  
install Fink, or b) run X, just for this one application.  Everything  
else I use works just fine without Fink or X, so I'd like to use  
VPython the same way, if possible.  I think it's do-able, if I can  
just get through the rather Byzantine configuation.

Thanks again.

--Dethe

On 19-Oct-05, at 5:17 AM, Jonathan Brandmeyer wrote:

> On Tue, 2005-10-18 at 22:47 -0700, Dethe Elza wrote:
>
>> Hi folks,
>>
>> I've finally gotten some time to look at porting VPython to OS X
>> Aqua.
>>
>
> Excellent!
>
>
>>   I've got Boost.python installed, and stubbed in the platmac.[h|
>> cpp], and the osxgl.[h|cpp], but I'm having no luck getting a working
>> configure file to compile it.  When I run autoconf I get a configure
>> file, but running aclocal tells me:
>>
>> aclocal: macro `AM_PATH_GTK' required but not defined
>>
>> But GTK shouldn't be required, so how do I turn that off?
>>
>
> Generating the configure script is much more difficult than actually
> running it, since it is designed to determine settings on every  
> platform
> that Visual can run on.  Therefore, you actually do need GTK installed
> (or at least its .m4 files).
>
> I face a similar problem when rebuilding configure using MinGW on
> Windows.  To work around it, I have a copy of gtk.m4 and pkg.m4 in
> VPython's CVS.  Look under vpython/share/aclocal.  Copy those files to
> $prefix/share/aclocal.  You will probably have an easier time getting
> autoconf, automake, and libtool to work if you use the packages in  
> Fink.
> In that case, you will want to copy the .m4 files
> into /sw/share/aclocal, but only if they are not already included in
> Fink's GTK 1.2 development package.
>
>
>>   I can
>> delete the offending line from acinclude.m4, but that still leaves me
>> with my next problem, which is that when I run the resulting
>> configure script it complains that in the line:
>>
>> AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE( visual, 3.2.3)
>>
>
> What is the current version of automake and autoconf on your system?
>
>
>> that the symbol "visual" is unknown.
>>
>> I'm not an avid user of autoconf or even configure, and after poking
>> around in it for a day or so, I'm not any more enlightened. Can
>> anyone tell me what I'm doing that's stupid and hosing the build?
>>
>
> I've given a few guesses above, but also see the file autogen.sh in  
> the
> top-level of VPython's source tree (maybe only in CVS).  It is what I
> use to sequence the operation of the autotools when building the
> configure scripts themselves.
>
> -Jonathan
>
>
>
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make it so simple there are obviously no deficiencies and the other  
way is to make it so complicated that there are no obvious  
deficiencies.  --C.A.R. Hoare

Re: [Visualpython-users] Aqua port - stumped by autoconf

[Jonathan B. <jbr...@ea...>]

On Wed, 2005-10-19 at 10:49 -0700, Dethe Elza wrote:
> Hi Jonathan,
> 
> Thanks!  That got me one step further.  Now it is looking for  
> install.sh, which I don't see in the CVS tree.  Where do I find this?

My set of the autotools doesn't look for an install.sh, just install-sh.
That file is symlinked in by automake
from /usr/share/automake-1.9/install-sh on my Debian box.

> I'm sure it would be easier if I installed Fink, but part of the  
> justification for this whole exercise is that I don't want to a)  
> install Fink, or b) run X, just for this one application.  Everything  
> else I use works just fine without Fink or X, so I'd like to use  
> VPython the same way, if possible.

Note that there is a difference between needing Fink to build the
configure scripts, and needing it to actually build or run VPython.
Rebuilding the configure scripts is something that only a developer will
do, and even then only rarely.

I suspect that after you change configure.ac to separately test for
*-apple-darwin* and pull in the OSX-specific files, you won't have to
rebuild the configure scripts again.

>   I think it's do-able, if I can  
> just get through the rather Byzantine configuation.

-Jonathan

Re: [Visualpython-users] Aqua port - stumped by autoconf

[Jonathan B. <jbr...@ea...>]

On Wed, 2005-10-19 at 10:49 -0700, Dethe Elza wrote:
>   I think it's do-able, if I can  
> just get through the rather Byzantine configuation.

Are you (or anyone else out there) familiar with Scons?

I've been considering using it as a replacement for the autotools in
VPython's source tree.  The last time that I checked, Scons had very
weak support for actually installing packages, which is why I haven't
used it for anything other than projects that I haven't actually
distributed.  On the other hand, the SConstruct build file is very easy
to read and change.

Can any of the third-party packagers comment on their experience with
redistributing scons-built packages?

Thanks,
-Jonathan Brandmeyer

Re: [Visualpython-users] Aqua port - stumped by autoconf

[Dethe E. <de...@li...>]

On 19-Oct-05, at 4:57 PM, Jonathan Brandmeyer wrote:
>
> Are you (or anyone else out there) familiar with Scons?

What is wrong with using distutils[1], the standard method for  
building Python extensions?  The new Setuptools[2] package makes it  
even easier, and supports EasyInstall[3] and Python Eggs[4].

[1] http://docs.python.org/lib/module-distutils.html
[2] http://peak.telecommunity.com/DevCenter/setuptools
[3] http://peak.telecommunity.com/DevCenter/EasyInstall
[4] http://peak.telecommunity.com/DevCenter/PythonEggs

I install a lot of programs, and there are three four common methods  
I encounter:  Untar the app and drag it to /Applications (standard  
Mac install), untar the installer and run it (for Mac apps which  
require more than just the Application bundle), type "./ 
configure;make;sudo make install" at the command line (apps ported  
from Linux or BSD), and "python setup.py install" (nearly all python  
extensions and libraries).  I understand that VPython is doing a lot,  
but why it is so much more complicated than installing PyGame, for  
instance, is beyond me.

> I've been considering using it as a replacement for the autotools in
> VPython's source tree.  The last time that I checked, Scons had very
> weak support for actually installing packages, which is why I haven't
> used it for anything other than projects that I haven't actually
> distributed.  On the other hand, the SConstruct build file is very  
> easy
> to read and change.

Easy to read and change would be a plus.  If I could read the  
autoconf file, I could help port it to distutils.  If you're  
interested in moving to distutils, and are willing to explain the  
dependencies to me, I'd be happy to help.  I'd much rather learn more  
about distutils (I've dabbled, but not delved deep yet) than another  
configuration/installation tool which I will only use for this one  
project.

--Dethe

PowerPoint can make almost anything appear good and look  
professional. Quite frankly, I find that a little bit frightening.
  --David Byrne

Re: [Visualpython-users] Aqua port - stumped by autoconf

[Bruce S. <Bru...@nc...>]

Isn't it the case that to use distutils with modules written in C or C++ 
(such as Visual) there must be a compiler present on the machine? That's 
why we can't use distutils on Windows for example, and for that matter 
isn't it the case that on a Mac there isn't a compiler present if you 
don't install it?

As to why VPython is so difficult to install (especially on the Mac), 
the problems are basically due to not having a component that creates 
native windows and handles native events, so we've had to get by with 
using the Unix/Linux component, which throws even the naive user into 
the scary environments of X11 and fink. I personally have observed that 
the installers on the 10.4 DVD for X11 or Xtools (not sure which it was) 
don't necessarily actually work the first time, and just running the 
installer fixes a problem! And then there's the problem that going from 
10.3 to 10.4 invalidates everything, which is an amazing feature of an 
operating system.

Bottom line, we're all grateful that you're attempting to break through 
to a native-mode version for the Mac, which ought to be vastly easier to 
install.

Bruce Sherwood

Dethe Elza wrote:

>
>
> What is wrong with using distutils[1], the standard method for  
> building Python extensions?  The new Setuptools[2] package makes it  
> even easier, and supports EasyInstall[3] and Python Eggs[4].
>
> [1] http://docs.python.org/lib/module-distutils.html
> [2] http://peak.telecommunity.com/DevCenter/setuptools
> [3] http://peak.telecommunity.com/DevCenter/EasyInstall
> [4] http://peak.telecommunity.com/DevCenter/PythonEggs
>
> I install a lot of programs, and there are three four common methods  
> I encounter:  Untar the app and drag it to /Applications (standard  
> Mac install), untar the installer and run it (for Mac apps which  
> require more than just the Application bundle), type "./ 
> configure;make;sudo make install" at the command line (apps ported  
> from Linux or BSD), and "python setup.py install" (nearly all python  
> extensions and libraries).  I understand that VPython is doing a lot,  
> but why it is so much more complicated than installing PyGame, for  
> instance, is beyond me.
>

Re: [Visualpython-users] Aqua port - stumped by autoconf

[Jonathan B. <jbr...@ea...>]

On Wed, 2005-10-19 at 21:06 -0700, Dethe Elza wrote:
> On 19-Oct-05, at 4:57 PM, Jonathan Brandmeyer wrote:
> >
> > Are you (or anyone else out there) familiar with Scons?
> 
> What is wrong with using distutils[1], the standard method for  
> building Python extensions?  The new Setuptools[2] package makes it  
> even easier, and supports EasyInstall[3] and Python Eggs[4].
> 
> [1] http://docs.python.org/lib/module-distutils.html
> [2] http://peak.telecommunity.com/DevCenter/setuptools
> [3] http://peak.telecommunity.com/DevCenter/EasyInstall
> [4] http://peak.telecommunity.com/DevCenter/PythonEggs

But it doesn't properly support C++, or the use of a compiler other than
the one that built Python itself.  Those features are absolutely
required for VPython.

-Jonathan