GNU bug report logs - #78433
[PATCH] Search for gcc-ar

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Message #5 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Sam James <sam <at> gentoo.org>
To: automake-patches <at> gnu.org
Cc: Sam James <sam <at> gentoo.org>
Subject: [PATCH] Search for gcc-ar
Date: Thu, 15 May 2025 03:46:55 +0100

GCC requires `ar` to have plugin support when using LTO. While the situation
has improved as many distributions install the GCC plugin to a location
that GNU Binutils can automatically find, this isn't required and isn't done
by default.

By searching for `gcc-ar` first, we can make this case work without
intervention from the user.

Problem reported by R. Diez in: https://savannah.gnu.org/support/?110475

	* m4/ar-lib.m4 (AM_PROG_AR): Search for gcc-ar.
---
I'm still testing this and going to play with it some more in the wild,
but how does this look in principle?

 NEWS         | 3 +++
 m4/ar-lib.m4 | 2 +-
 2 files changed, 4 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 30c0cd2c7..d448dba26 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@ New in 1.17.92:
 
   - Support for Algol 68 added, based on the GNU Algol 68 compiler. (bug#75807)
 
+  - AM_PROG_AR now searches for 'gcc-ar' first.
+    (https://savannah.gnu.org/support/?110475)
+
 * Bugs fixed
 
   - Do not make Perl warnings fatal, per Perl's recommendation.
diff --git a/m4/ar-lib.m4 b/m4/ar-lib.m4
index 568ea0798..c00c1a51e 100644
--- a/m4/ar-lib.m4
+++ b/m4/ar-lib.m4
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ AC_BEFORE([$0], [AC_PROG_LIBTOOL])dnl
 AC_BEFORE([$0], [AC_PROG_AR])dnl
 AC_REQUIRE([AM_AUX_DIR_EXPAND])dnl
 AC_REQUIRE_AUX_FILE([ar-lib])dnl
-AC_CHECK_TOOLS([AR], [ar lib "link -lib"], [false])
+AC_CHECK_TOOLS([AR], [gcc-ar ar lib "link -lib"], [false])
 : ${AR=ar}
 : ${ARFLAGS=cr}
 
-- 
2.49.0

Message #8 received at 78433 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Sam James <sam <at> gentoo.org>
To: 78433 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: [bug#78433] [PATCH] Search for gcc-ar
Date: Thu, 15 May 2025 04:16:45 +0100

Sam James <sam <at> gentoo.org> writes:

> GCC requires `ar` to have plugin support when using LTO. While the situation
> has improved as many distributions install the GCC plugin to a location
> that GNU Binutils can automatically find, this isn't required and isn't done
> by default.
>
> By searching for `gcc-ar` first, we can make this case work without
> intervention from the user.
>
> Problem reported by R. Diez in: https://savannah.gnu.org/support/?110475
>
> 	* m4/ar-lib.m4 (AM_PROG_AR): Search for gcc-ar.
> ---
> I'm still testing this and going to play with it some more in the wild,
> but how does this look in principle?

I've sent a patch to autoconf as well at
https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/autoconf-patches/2025-05/msg00007.html.

>
>  NEWS         | 3 +++
>  m4/ar-lib.m4 | 2 +-
>  2 files changed, 4 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
>
> diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
> index 30c0cd2c7..d448dba26 100644
> --- a/NEWS
> +++ b/NEWS
> @@ -17,6 +17,9 @@ New in 1.17.92:
>  
>    - Support for Algol 68 added, based on the GNU Algol 68 compiler. (bug#75807)
>  
> +  - AM_PROG_AR now searches for 'gcc-ar' first.
> +    (https://savannah.gnu.org/support/?110475)
> +
>  * Bugs fixed
>  
>    - Do not make Perl warnings fatal, per Perl's recommendation.
> diff --git a/m4/ar-lib.m4 b/m4/ar-lib.m4
> index 568ea0798..c00c1a51e 100644
> --- a/m4/ar-lib.m4
> +++ b/m4/ar-lib.m4
> @@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ AC_BEFORE([$0], [AC_PROG_LIBTOOL])dnl
>  AC_BEFORE([$0], [AC_PROG_AR])dnl
>  AC_REQUIRE([AM_AUX_DIR_EXPAND])dnl
>  AC_REQUIRE_AUX_FILE([ar-lib])dnl
> -AC_CHECK_TOOLS([AR], [ar lib "link -lib"], [false])
> +AC_CHECK_TOOLS([AR], [gcc-ar ar lib "link -lib"], [false])
>  : ${AR=ar}
>  : ${ARFLAGS=cr}

Message #11 received at 78433 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Karl Berry <karl <at> freefriends.org>
To: sam <at> gentoo.org
Cc: 78433 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: [bug#78433] [PATCH] Search for gcc-ar
Date: Thu, 15 May 2025 16:24:01 -0600

Hi Sam,

    but how does this look in principle?

    -AC_CHECK_TOOLS([AR], [ar lib "link -lib"], [false])
    +AC_CHECK_TOOLS([AR], [gcc-ar ar lib "link -lib"], [false])

Seems about as simple a change as it could be. Assuming that gcc-ar
behaves like normal ar in normal situations (no plugins or LTO
involved), I don't see a problem with it. It even seems safe enough to
me to make the next release without another pretest. Wdyt?

My only comment on the patch is that I think this searching for gcc-ar
should be mentioned in the documentation for AM_PROG_AR. (I can do that.)

    I'm still testing this and going to play with it some more in the wild,

Do you want me to install the patch? A few people run automake from the
dev sources so it would get some minor additional testing that way.

Thanks,
Karl

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