Re: Request for TC to rule on a course of action for supporting build-arch

[Jakub Wilk <jwilk@debian.org>]

* Roger Leigh <rleigh@codelibre.net>, 2011-06-11, 12:19:
> 7) Failed autodetection
>   - autodetection failed to detect an existing build-arch target
>   - unconditional used build-arch
>   A complete list of packages is at the bottom; these are selected
>   examples.
>
>   Example: spring_0.82.7.1+dfsg1-3
>     In this package, the '%: dh $@' rule is at the end of the rules,
>     not the beginning.  This makes "make -qn" try to run the rule:
>     % make -f debian/rules -qn build-arch
>     dh build-arch
>        dh_testdir -a
>        debian/rules override_dh_auto_configure
>     make: *** [build-arch] Error 1
>
>     Compare with moving the rule to the start:
>     % make -f debian/rules -qn build-arch
>     % echo $?
>     1
>
>   Example: isomd5sum_1.0.5-2
>     This package contains a real build-arch rule, and it's .PHONY.
>     Again, "make -qf" actually tries to build the target and fails:
>     % make -f debian/rules -qn build-arch
>     make implantisomd5 checkisomd5
>     make: *** [build-isomd5sum-stamp] Error 1
>
>   Example: phonon-backend-vlc_0.4.0-1
>     % make -f debian/rules -qn build-arch
>     /usr/share/pkg-kde-tools/qt-kde-team/2/dhmk.pl --with=kde,pkgkde-symbolshelper
>     make -f debian/rules dhmk_run_configure_commands DHMK_TARGET="configure"
>     make: *** [debian/dhmk_configure] Error 1
>     Probably somewhere in the guts of
>     /usr/share/pkg-kde-tools/qt-kde-team/2/dhmk.mk where the
>     generic '%: debian/dhmk_%' expansion is.
>     Note that most of the failures are in KDE packages, so fixing this
>     will fix the majority of the failures.

Quoting make documentation:

| The `-n', `-t', and `-q' options do not affect command lines that begin
| with `+' characters or contain the strings `$(MAKE)' or `${MAKE}'. Note
| that only the line containing the `+' character or the strings `$(MAKE)'
| or `${MAKE}' is run regardless of these options. Other lines in the same
| rule are not run unless they too begin with `+' or contain `$(MAKE)' or
| `${MAKE}' (*Note How the `MAKE' Variable Works: MAKE Variable.)

I think the above disqualifies the "make -qn" method...

--
Jakub Wilk