Lion/Macports : unable to configure ncurses

[Allasso]

Machine:

Mac Mini
2.5 GHZ Intel Core i5

OS:

10.7

I just installed Xcode 4.3, then installed Macports 2.0.3 from the binary package listed for Lion. The installation went apparently without a hitch, in spite of the warning from the Macports site I afterward noticed:

"Note however that Xcode 4.3 cannot be used by MacPorts at present."

I attempted to install lynx using the following:

sudo port install lynx

which failed on trying to configure ncurses:

sudo port install lynx

Password:

--->  Computing dependencies for lynx

--->  Dependencies to be installed: ncurses ncursesw openssl zlib

--->  Fetching archive for ncursesw

--->  Attempting to fetch ncursesw-5.8_0.darwin_11.noarch.tbz2 from http://packages.macports.org/ncursesw

--->  Fetching ncursesw

--->  Verifying checksum(s) for ncursesw

--->  Extracting ncursesw

--->  Configuring ncursesw

--->  Building ncursesw

--->  Staging ncursesw into destroot

--->  Installing ncursesw @5.8_0

--->  Activating ncursesw @5.8_0

--->  Cleaning ncursesw

--->  Fetching archive for ncurses

--->  Attempting to fetch ncurses-5.9_1.darwin_11.x86_64.tbz2 from http://packages.macports.org/ncurses

--->  Fetching ncurses

--->  Attempting to fetch ncurses-5.9.tar.gz from http://distfiles.macports.org/ncurses

--->  Verifying checksum(s) for ncurses

--->  Extracting ncurses

--->  Applying patches to ncurses

--->  Configuring ncurses

Error: Target org.macports.configure returned: configure failure: shell command failed (see log for details)

Error: Failed to install ncurses

Log for ncurses is at: /opt/local/var/macports/logs/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_release_tarballs_ports_devel_ncurses/ncurses/main.log

Error: The following dependencies were not installed: ncurses openssl zlib

Error: Status 1 encountered during processing.

It would seem to me that if Xcode 4.3 was indeed not working with Macports, I would not have gotten thus far. Am I incorrect about this?

Here is the end of the ncurses log which I assume is pertinent:

:info:configure checking for gcc... /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/usr/bin/clang

:info:configure checking for C compiler default output... configure: error: C compiler cannot create executables

:info:configure shell command " cd "/opt/local/var/macports/build/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_release_tarballs_ports_devel_ncurses/ncurses/work/ncurses-5.9" && ./configure --prefix=/opt/local --enable-widec --enable-overwrite --with-shared --without-debug --without-ada --enable-sigwinch --mandir=/opt/local/share/man --with-manpage-format=normal --enable-pc-files --enable-symlinks --disable-mixed-case " returned error 77

:error:configure Target org.macports.configure returned: configure failure: shell command failed (see log for details)

:debug:configure Backtrace: configure failure: shell command failed (see log for details)

    while executing

"$procedure $targetname"

:info:configure Warning: the following items did not execute (for ncurses): org.macports.activate org.macports.configure org.macports.build org.macports.destroot org.macports.install

:error:configure Failed to install ncurses

:debug:configure could not read "/opt/local/share/doc/ncursesw/README.txt": no such file or directory

    while executing

"file type $file"

:notice:configure Log for ncurses is at: /opt/local/var/macports/logs/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_release_tarballs_ports_devel_ncurses/ncurses/main.log

I tried installing lynx using fink, but the package is not available. The last resort would be to compile and install lynx from source, but it seems that there is sometimes a cost for not doing things the "Mac" way.

Any input would be much appreciated.

Allasso

[fracai]

MacPorts stating that 4.3 isn't currently supported is because this version made several large changes to how and where the tools are installed. While there have been reports that users and devs have gotten 4.3 to work, there isn't a simple procedure yet for getting everything to work nicely. This will likely require a new MacPorts release.

So, while some things are working, that doesn't mean that everything will. You could try posting to their user list for help, though you'll likely be told that 4.3 isn't supported yet. I'd recommend taking that advice for now and waiting for 4.3 to be officially supported. For now, uninstall 4.3 and stick with 4.2.x ( it should still be available from developer.apple.com ).


One other thing to try...
Did you previously have ncurses installed? It's odd that the configure is failing because a file was not found under /opt/local/share/doc/ncursesw. It looks like ncursesw may not have correctly been installed. You might try cleaning ncurses and reinstalling, or uninstalling, cleaning, and installing ncursesw.

Quote: sudo clean ncurses sudo port install ncurses

and / or

Quote: sudo uninstall ncursesw sudo clean ncursesw sudo port install ncursesw

This ticket showed a similar problem that ended up requiring an OS reinstall.
https://svn.macports.org/ticket/30734

[Allasso]

Thank you for the input. Regarding:

Quote: Originally Posted by fracai You might try cleaning ncurses and reinstalling, or uninstalling, cleaning, and installing ncursesw.

That sounds a bit scary to me... To uninstall something that Macports may not be able to install afterward. This is a new computer, and I would rather not muck with it too much. I definitely would rather not have to do an OS reinstall.

Am I just being paranoid?

[dmacks]

I have fink-supplied lynx-2.8.7 installed on my Lion box. But I have not jumped up to xcode4.3 because I hear it causes problems and doesn't have advantages that are important to me right now.

[fracai]

Your log shows that ncursesw installed just fine, but appears to be incomplete because the ncurses install indicates a missing ncursesw file. That's why I suggested reinstalling ncursesw to see if this clears up the missing file.

What does "port contents ncursesw | grep README" produce?

The OS reinstall, as suggested by the above linked ticket, was because the user had a corrupt OS, as indicated by the non-function and zero sized system files. We're a ways off from indicating a reinstall as a solution.