m4 and after (was: Yacc Shaving)

["Amitai Schleier" <schmonz%schmonz.com@localhost>]

On 11 Mar 2024, at 10:22, Amitai Schleier wrote:

> For CLT 15.3.0.0.1.1708646388 users, I expect this to fix much of the 
> fallout, but not all. For instance, packages with configure scripts 
> that invoke "m4" or "yacc" (or "byacc") directly and haven't declared 
> them in USE_TOOLS will pop up a macOS dialog prompting you to install 
> the CLT.

Observing pkg_rr, I'm seeing that there's at least one widespread class 
of packages that are largely missing "gm4" in USE_TOOLS: packages that 
specify autoconf/automake/autoreconf in USE_TOOLS.

Two options for fixing this class of errors:

1. "Explicit": edit each Makefile, commit en masse. Hope that future 
developers remember to include "gm4" when they're supposed to.

2. "Implicit": codify in mk/tools/autoconf.mk that anything using 
autoconfery also effectively TOOL_DEPENDS on devel/m4. Hope that this 
magic action at a distance saves more trouble/confusion than it causes.

I'm leaning toward (2), but that might be because I've not tried 
implementing it yet.

Either way, this doesn't solve all the cases. The endgame here is 
probably still whack-a-mole. Hopefully on a smaller board. :-)

- Amitai