Re: debian/rules not running ./configure

[Zenaan Harkness <zen@aaroncommercial.com>]

On Sat, 2003-10-25 at 17:32, Joshua Kwan wrote: 
> On Sat, Oct 25, 2003 at 04:38:42PM +1000, Zenaan Harkness wrote:
> > I'm trying to create my first package, and don't know what to do to get
> > debian/rules to run ./configure. Eg:
> 
> Assuming you used dh_make, debian/rules contains a configure and
> configure-stamp target.

dh_make, yes

rules targets:

build, depends on build-stamp

build-stamp, yes (may be this is what you meant by configure-stamp?),
depends on config.status

config.status, depends configure

configure, no ? (only as a dependency) ?, configure-stamp, no ?

Here is the relevant portion of rules, mostly auto-generated by dh_make:

=====
config.status: configure
	dh_testdir
	# Add here commands to configure the package.
	CFLAGS=$(CFLAGS) ./configure --host=$(DEB_HOST_GNU_TYPE) \
	 --build=$(DEB_BUILD_GNU_TYPE) --prefix=/usr \
	 --mandir=\$${prefix}/share/man --infodir=\$${prefix}/share/info


build: build-stamp

build-stamp:  config.status
	dh_testdir

	# Add here commands to compile the package.
	$(MAKE)
	/usr/bin/docbook-to-man debian/fastdep.sgml > fastdep.1
	$(MAKE) -f Makefile.deb-install

	touch build-stamp
=====

As you can see, although there is no configure _target_, the
config.status target appears to have the ./configure command in it
(third line of it's "mini" script, please excuse the wrapping).

I have tried expanding all the variables/ substitutions, and running the
resultant configure command, and that works. It seems that this part of
the make file is simply never run.

> You want to stick ./configure into the configure-stamp target, then
> touch configure-stamp.

If you need, I can post the whole file, but as mentioned there's no
configure-stamp, dependency or target.

> I think you need to bone up on the general workings of Makefiles though.
> [See below..]

Tis true.

> OK, maybe you already know this, but I'm feeling verbose tonight...
> [...snip make intro...]
> I hope maybe this can help you with your debian/rules wrangling with
> regards to running configure.

Much appreciated. The GNU manuals can be a little terse sometimes.
However, I have some more questions, as per above.

> Also watch out for the warnings that dpkg-source is giving you. Those
> look rather ominous.

I'm happy to tackle ominous warnings... :)

Thanks heaps
Zen