[package] m4/1.4.19: Build failure in doc when cross-compiling (+ dirty solution)

[wdobbe]

Description

While trying to cross-compile CCI Qt 6.7.1 I encountered the following build failure in dependency m4 (full log below):

Making all in doc
make[2]: Entering directory '/home/wdobbe/.conan2/p/b/m42f51b119b1fa4/b/build-release/doc'
Updating man page m4.1
help2man: can't get `--help' info from ../src/m4
Try `--no-discard-stderr' if option outputs to stderr
make[2]: *** [Makefile:2449: /home/wdobbe/.conan2/p/b/m42f51b119b1fa4/b/src/doc/m4.1] Error 126
make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/wdobbe/.conan2/p/b/m42f51b119b1fa4/b/build-release/doc'
make[1]: *** [Makefile:2018: all-recursive] Error 1
make[1]: Leaving directory '/home/wdobbe/.conan2/p/b/m42f51b119b1fa4/b/build-release'
make: *** [Makefile:1974: all] Error 2

m4/1.4.19: ERROR: 
Package '873a094f947c14d896ab0929156f4bea0db3d5d2' build failed

help2man tries to run the compiled m4 executable with argument '--help'. This fails because the cross-compiled executable is not runnable on x86_64.
For now I solved it with the following (dirty) patch that prevents that the documentation is build:

--- conanfile.py.org    2024-09-16 17:00:58.495031078 +0200
+++ conanfile.py        2024-09-16 16:59:11.205533912 +0200
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 from conan import ConanFile
 from conan.tools.build import cross_building
 from conan.tools.env import VirtualBuildEnv
-from conan.tools.files import apply_conandata_patches, copy, export_conandata_patches, get, rmdir, save
+from conan.tools.files import apply_conandata_patches, copy, export_conandata_patches, get, rmdir, save, replace_in_file
 from conan.tools.gnu import Autotools, AutotoolsToolchain
 from conan.tools.layout import basic_layout
 from conan.tools.microsoft import is_msvc, unix_path
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@
         self._patch_sources()
         autotools = Autotools(self)
         autotools.configure()
+        replace_in_file(self, os.path.join(self.build_folder, 'Makefile'), search="SUBDIRS = . examples lib src doc checks po tests", replace="SUBDIRS = . examples lib src checks po tests")
         autotools.make()
 
     def package(self):
(python39env) wdobbe@dev-linux-bs03:~/.conan2/p/m4512cc8aabbc4c/e> vi conanfile.py
(python39env) wdobbe@dev-linux-bs03:~/.conan2/p/m4512cc8aabbc4c/e> 
(python39env) wdobbe@dev-linux-bs03:~/.conan2/p/m4512cc8aabbc4c/e> 
(python39env) wdobbe@dev-linux-bs03:~/.conan2/p/m4512cc8aabbc4c/e> 
(python39env) wdobbe@dev-linux-bs03:~/.conan2/p/m4512cc8aabbc4c/e> 
(python39env) wdobbe@dev-linux-bs03:~/.conan2/p/m4512cc8aabbc4c/e> diff -u conanfile.py.org conanfile.py
--- conanfile.py.org    2024-09-16 17:00:58.495031078 +0200
+++ conanfile.py        2024-09-16 17:03:15.222036525 +0200
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 from conan import ConanFile
 from conan.tools.build import cross_building
 from conan.tools.env import VirtualBuildEnv
-from conan.tools.files import apply_conandata_patches, copy, export_conandata_patches, get, rmdir, save
+from conan.tools.files import apply_conandata_patches, copy, export_conandata_patches, get, rmdir, save, replace_in_file
 from conan.tools.gnu import Autotools, AutotoolsToolchain
 from conan.tools.layout import basic_layout
 from conan.tools.microsoft import is_msvc, unix_path
@@ -112,6 +112,8 @@
         self._patch_sources()
         autotools = Autotools(self)
         autotools.configure()
+        if cross_building(self):
+            replace_in_file(self, os.path.join(self.build_folder, 'Makefile'), search="SUBDIRS = . examples lib src doc checks po tests", replace="SUBDIRS = . examples lib src checks po tests")
         autotools.make()
 
     def package(self):

I hope that someone with more autotools knowledge knows a better fix.

Package and Environment Details

• Package Name/Version: m4/1.4.19
• Operating System+version: Linux SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP5
• Compiler+version: GCC 13 (build) / gcc 11 (host)
• Conan version: conan 2.7.1
• Python version: Python 3.9.15

Conan profile

Host profile:
[settings]
arch=cortexa7
build_type=Release
compiler=gcc
compiler.cppstd=17
compiler.libcxx=libstdc++11
compiler.version=11
os=Linux
os.distro=None
[tool_requires]
*: swpt_build_env_cortexa7/2019@swpt/stable

Build profile:
[settings]
arch=x86_64
build_type=Release
compiler=gcc
compiler.cppstd=17
compiler.libcxx=libstdc++11
compiler.version=13
os=Linux
os.distro=Suse15
[conf]
tools.build:compiler_executables={'c': '/usr/bin/gcc-13', 'cpp': '/usr/bin/g++-13'}

Steps to reproduce

Cross-compile m4/1.4.19

Logs

Click to expand log (build step only)

m4/1.4.19: RUN: make -j64
make  all-recursive
make[1]: Entering directory '/home/wdobbe/.conan2/p/b/m42f51b119b1fa4/b/build-release'
Making all in .
make[2]: Entering directory '/home/wdobbe/.conan2/p/b/m42f51b119b1fa4/b/build-release'
make[2]: Nothing to be done for 'all-am'.
make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/wdobbe/.conan2/p/b/m42f51b119b1fa4/b/build-release'
Making all in examples
make[2]: Entering directory '/home/wdobbe/.conan2/p/b/m42f51b119b1fa4/b/build-release/examples'
make[2]: Nothing to be done for 'all'.
make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/wdobbe/.conan2/p/b/m42f51b119b1fa4/b/build-release/examples'
Making all in lib
make[2]: Entering directory '/home/wdobbe/.conan2/p/b/m42f51b119b1fa4/b/build-release/lib'
  GEN      alloca.h
  GEN      configmake.h
  GEN      fcntl.h
  GEN      dirent.h
  GEN      getopt.h
  GEN      getopt-cdefs.h
  GEN      iconv.h
  GEN      inttypes.h
  GEN      langinfo.h
  GEN      limits.h
  GEN      locale.h
  GEN      sched.h
  GEN      signal.h
  GEN      math.h
  GEN      sigsegv.h
  GEN      spawn.h
  GEN      stdlib.h
  GEN      stdio.h
  GEN      string.h
  GEN      sys/stat.h
  GEN      sys/types.h
  GEN      sys/random.h
  GEN      time.h
  GEN      sys/wait.h
  GEN      unistd.h
  GEN      unistr.h
  GEN      unitypes.h
  GEN      uniwidth.h
  GEN      wchar.h
  GEN      wctype.h
make  all-am
make[3]: Entering directory '/home/wdobbe/.conan2/p/b/m42f51b119b1fa4/b/build-release/lib'
  CC       asyncsafe-spin.o
  CC       openat-proc.o
  CC       gl_avltree_oset.o
  CC       basename-lgpl.o
  CC       binary-io.o
  CC       bitrotate.o
  CC       c-ctype.o
  CC       c-strcasecmp.o
  CC       c-stack.o
  CC       c-strncasecmp.o
  CC       clean-temp.o
  CC       canonicalize.o
  CC       cloexec.o
  CC       clean-temp-simple.o
  CC       closein.o
  CC       closeout.o
  CC       close-stream.o
  CC       concat-filename.o
  CC       basename.o
  CC       dirname.o
  CC       dirname-lgpl.o
  CC       stripslash.o
  CC       execute.o
  CC       exitfail.o
  CC       fatal-signal.o
  CC       fd-safer-flag.o
  CC       fd-hook.o
  CC       dup-safer-flag.o
  CC       filenamecat.o
  CC       file-set.o
  CC       filenamecat-lgpl.o
  CC       findprog-in.o
  CC       fopen-safer.o
  CC       freading.o
  CC       getprogname.o
  CC       hard-locale.o
  CC       hash.o
  CC       hash-pjw.o
  CC       hash-triple-simple.o
  CC       gl_linked_list.o
  CC       gl_linkedhash_list.o
  CC       gl_list.o
  CC       localcharset.o
  CC       localename.o
  CC       localename-table.o
  CC       math.o
  CC       malloca.o
  CC       mbchar.o
  CC       mbiter.o
  CC       mbslen.o
  CC       mbsstr.o
  CC       mbuiter.o
  CC       memchr2.o
  CC       openat-die.o
  CC       pipe2.o
  CC       pipe2-safer.o
  CC       printf-frexp.o
  CC       gl_oset.o
  CC       printf-frexpl.o
  CC       progname.o
  CC       propername.o
  CC       quotearg.o
  CC       save-cwd.o
  CC       malloc/scratch_buffer_dupfree.o
  CC       malloc/scratch_buffer_grow.o
  CC       malloc/scratch_buffer_grow_preserve.o
  CC       malloc/scratch_buffer_set_array_size.o
  CC       setlocale_null.o
  CC       sig-handler.o
  CC       sigsegv.o
  CC       stackvma.o
  CC       spawn-pipe.o
  CC       stat-time.o
  CC       striconv.o
  CC       mkstemp-safer.o
  CC       tempname.o
  CC       strnlen1.o
  CC       glthread/threadlib.o
  CC       tmpdir.o
  CC       glthread/tls.o
  CC       trim.o
  CC       unistd.o
  CC       dup-safer.o
  CC       fd-safer.o
/home/wdobbe/.conan2/p/b/m42f51b119b1fa4/b/src/lib/canonicalize.c: In function 'canonicalize_filename_mode':
  CC       pipe-safer.o
/home/wdobbe/.conan2/p/b/m42f51b119b1fa4/b/src/lib/canonicalize.c:484:5: warning: #warning "GCC might issue a bogus -Wreturn-local-addr warning here." [-Wcpp]
  484 |    #warning "GCC might issue a bogus -Wreturn-local-addr warning here."
      |     ^~~~~~~
/home/wdobbe/.conan2/p/b/m42f51b119b1fa4/b/src/lib/canonicalize.c:485:5: warning: #warning "See <https://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=93644>." [-Wcpp]
  485 |    #warning "See <https://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=93644>."
      |     ^~~~~~~
  CC       verror.o
  CC       version-etc-fsf.o
  CC       version-etc.o
  CC       wait-process.o
  CC       wctype-h.o
  CC       xmalloc.o
  CC       xalloc-die.o
  CC       xmalloca.o
  CC       gl_xlist.o
  CC       gl_xoset.o
  CC       xprintf.o
  CC       xsize.o
  CC       xstriconv.o
  CC       xstrndup.o
  CC       xvasprintf.o
  CC       xasprintf.o
  CC       asnprintf.o
  CC       chdir-long.o
  CC       fclose.o
  CC       fcntl.o
  CC       fflush.o
  CC       fpurge.o
  CC       freadahead.o
  CC       fseek.o
  CC       getcwd.o
  CC       fseeko.o
  CC       getcwd-lgpl.o
  CC       getopt1.o
  CC       mbrtowc.o
  CC       memchr.o
  CC       obstack.o
  CC       printf-args.o
  CC       getopt.o
  CC       printf-parse.o
  CC       regex.o
  CC       spawn_faction_addchdir.o
  CC       strerror.o
  CC       strstr.o
  CC       vasnprintf.o
  CC       malloc/dynarray_at_failure.o
  CC       malloc/dynarray_emplace_enlarge.o
  CC       malloc/dynarray_finalize.o
  CC       malloc/dynarray_resize.o
  CC       malloc/dynarray_resize_clear.o
  CC       glthread/lock.o
  CC       unistr/u8-uctomb.o
  CC       unistr/u8-mbtoucr.o
  CC       unistr/u8-uctomb-aux.o
  CC       uniwidth/width.o
  AR       libm4.a
make[3]: Leaving directory '/home/wdobbe/.conan2/p/b/m42f51b119b1fa4/b/build-release/lib'
make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/wdobbe/.conan2/p/b/m42f51b119b1fa4/b/build-release/lib'
Making all in src
make[2]: Entering directory '/home/wdobbe/.conan2/p/b/m42f51b119b1fa4/b/build-release/src'
  CC       m4.o
  CC       builtin.o
  CC       debug.o
  CC       eval.o
  CC       format.o
  CC       freeze.o
  CC       input.o
  CC       macro.o
  CC       output.o
  CC       path.o
  CC       symtab.o
  CCLD     m4
make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/wdobbe/.conan2/p/b/m42f51b119b1fa4/b/build-release/src'
Making all in doc
make[2]: Entering directory '/home/wdobbe/.conan2/p/b/m42f51b119b1fa4/b/build-release/doc'
Updating man page m4.1
help2man: can't get `--help' info from ../src/m4
Try `--no-discard-stderr' if option outputs to stderr
make[2]: *** [Makefile:2449: /home/wdobbe/.conan2/p/b/m42f51b119b1fa4/b/src/doc/m4.1] Error 126
make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/wdobbe/.conan2/p/b/m42f51b119b1fa4/b/build-release/doc'
make[1]: *** [Makefile:2018: all-recursive] Error 1
make[1]: Leaving directory '/home/wdobbe/.conan2/p/b/m42f51b119b1fa4/b/build-release'
make: *** [Makefile:1974: all] Error 2

m4/1.4.19: ERROR: 
Package '873a094f947c14d896ab0929156f4bea0db3d5d2' build failed
m4/1.4.19: WARN: Build folder /home/wdobbe/.conan2/p/b/m42f51b119b1fa4/b/build-release
ERROR: m4/1.4.19: Error in build() method, line 115
        autotools.make()
        ConanException: Error 2 while executing
Installation of dependencies (Conan) failed, build stopped.