Description

assignee = None
closed_at = None
created_at = <Date 2019-12-03.16:40:39.489>
labels = ['3.8', 'build', '3.7', '3.9']
title = 'Flaky detection of compiler vendor'
updated_at = <Date 2019-12-06.22:18:24.035>
user = 'https://bugs.python.org/jmaargh'

activity = <Date 2019-12-06.22:18:24.035>
actor = 'terry.reedy'
assignee = 'none'
closed = False
closed_date = None
closer = None
components = ['Build']
creation = <Date 2019-12-03.16:40:39.489>
creator = 'jmaargh'
dependencies = []
files = []
hgrepos = []
issue_num = 38961
keywords = []
message_count = 1.0
messages = ['357755']
nosy_count = 1.0
nosy_names = ['jmaargh']
pr_nums = []
priority = 'normal'
resolution = None
stage = None
status = 'open'
superseder = None
type = 'compile error'
url = 'https://bugs.python.org/issue38961'
versions = ['Python 2.7', 'Python 3.7', 'Python 3.8', 'Python 3.9']

Activity

1. jmaargh commented on Dec 3, 2019

   

   jmaarghmannequin

   on Dec 3, 2019

   MannequinAuthor

   More actions

   The configure script for building what appears to be any version of python (I've manually checked 2.7, 3.6.6, and master) uses simple substring-in-path checks to determine the compiler vendor. This is problematic because it is very easy for it to produce very confusing false-positives.

   This appeared for me when compiling with a custom version of clang located at
   /home/riccardo/some/path, which caused this line

   cpython/configure

   Line 7546 in 8943318

   *icc*)

   to mistakenly assume an ICC configuration (because icc is a substring of riccardo). A quick check through the script reveals that compiler vendor detection in the script doesn't appear to be unified and are mostly similarly flaky.

   Other projects compile a small program that checks for defines, or parses the output of $CC --version or similar.
2. jmaargh

   added

   3.7 (EOL)end of lifeend of life

   3.8 (EOL)end of lifeend of life

   3.9 (EOL)end of lifeend of life

   buildThe build process and cross-buildThe build process and cross-build

   on Dec 3, 2019
3. ezio-melotti

   transferred this issue fromon Apr 10, 2022
4. encukou commented on Oct 15, 2026

   

   encukou

   on Oct 15, 2026

   Member

   More actions

   This was fixed in #117815.
5. encukou

   closed this as a duplicateof configure.ac: using $CC to check compiler names may result in erroneous judgements #96398 on Oct 15, 2026

Issue actions