Building with gettext >= 0.24

roti · 8 July 2025 20:04

Hello!

I got the following error while installing multiload-ng-common from AUR:

error: possibly undefined macro: AM_NLS

Found that it is by a gettext change, and other packages are also affected:

github.com/mypaint/libmypaint

configure.ac:242: error: possibly undefined macro: AM_GLIB_GNU_GETTEXT

opened 06:11PM - 10 Jan 20 UTC

closed 07:06PM - 10 Jan 20 UTC

ahloiscreamo

Hi, im trying to compile but stuck when it complain about missing file on acloc…al path. i have glib (glib-2.62.3_1 ) and gettext (gettext-0.20.1_1) installed. my system `Linux void_ahloi 5.4.10_1 #1 SMP PREEMPT Thu Jan 9 17:28:36 UTC 2020 x86_64 GNU/Linux` ``` ahloi@void_ahloi:~/S/libmypaint|master✓ ➤ ./autogen.sh --disable-introspection --without-glib I am testing that you have the tools required to build libmypaint from git. This test is not foolproof. checking for libtool >= 1.5 ... Major version might be too new (2.4.6) checking for autoconf >= 2.62 ... yes (version 2.69) checking for automake >= 1.13 ... yes (version 1.16.1) checking for intltool >= 0.40.1 ... yes (version 0.51.0) WARNING: cannot find glib-2.0.m4 in aclocal's search path. You may see fatal macro warnings below. I looked in: /usr/share/aclocal If these files are installed in /some/dir, set the ACLOCAL_FLAGS environment variable to "-I /some/dir", or append ":/some/dir" to ACLOCAL_PATH, or install /usr/share/aclocal/glib-2.0.m4. WARNING: cannot find glib-gettext.m4 in aclocal's search path. You may see fatal macro warnings below. I looked in: /usr/share/aclocal If these files are installed in /some/dir, set the ACLOCAL_FLAGS environment variable to "-I /some/dir", or append ":/some/dir" to ACLOCAL_PATH, or install /usr/share/aclocal/glib-gettext.m4. configure.ac:228: warning: macro 'AM_GLIB_GNU_GETTEXT' not found in library configure.ac:241: warning: AM_NLS is m4_require'd but not m4_defun'd /usr/share/aclocal/intltool.m4:27: IT_PROG_INTLTOOL is expanded from... configure.ac:241: the top level configure.ac:241: warning: AM_NLS is m4_require'd but not m4_defun'd /usr/share/aclocal/intltool.m4:27: IT_PROG_INTLTOOL is expanded from... configure.ac:241: the top level libtoolize: putting auxiliary files in '.'. libtoolize: linking file './ltmain.sh' libtoolize: putting macros in AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIRS, 'm4macros'. libtoolize: linking file 'm4macros/libtool.m4' libtoolize: linking file 'm4macros/ltoptions.m4' libtoolize: linking file 'm4macros/ltsugar.m4' libtoolize: linking file 'm4macros/ltversion.m4' libtoolize: linking file 'm4macros/lt~obsolete.m4' configure.ac:241: warning: AM_NLS is m4_require'd but not m4_defun'd aclocal.m4:26: IT_PROG_INTLTOOL is expanded from... configure.ac:241: the top level Checked mypaint-brush-settings-gen.h: up to date, not rewritten Checked brushsettings-gen.h: up to date, not rewritten configure.ac:241: warning: AM_NLS is m4_require'd but not m4_defun'd aclocal.m4:26: IT_PROG_INTLTOOL is expanded from... configure.ac:241: the top level configure.ac:84: installing './compile' configure.ac:60: installing './missing' Makefile.am: installing './depcomp' configure.ac:241: warning: AM_NLS is m4_require'd but not m4_defun'd aclocal.m4:26: IT_PROG_INTLTOOL is expanded from... configure.ac:241: the top level configure.ac:242: error: possibly undefined macro: AM_GLIB_GNU_GETTEXT If this token and others are legitimate, please use m4_pattern_allow. See the Autoconf documentation. configure:13668: error: possibly undefined macro: AM_NLS ahloi@void_ahloi:~/S/libmypaint|master✓ ➤ ```

github.com/Homebrew/homebrew-core

gettext should properly install its m4 macros

opened 05:30PM - 15 Apr 20 UTC

closed 07:54AM - 22 Apr 20 UTC

dimpase

outdated

- [x] ran `brew update` and can still reproduce the problem? - [x] ran `brew do…ctor`, fixed all issues and can still reproduce the problem? - [ ] ran `brew gist-logs <formula>` (where `<formula>` is the name of the formula that failed) and included the output link? - [ ] if `brew gist-logs` didn't work: ran `brew config` and `brew doctor` and included their output with your issue? ## What you were trying to do (and why) install gettext package with its autoconf macros such as AM_ICONV ## What happened (include command output) its autoconf macros don't get installed to a location known to autotools, even after running ``` brew link --force gettext ``` they remain in `/usr/local/opt/gettext/share/aclocal/` ## What you expected to happen the m4 files get installed in a location known to autotools, e.g. `/usr/local/share/aclocal/` ## Step-by-step reproduction instructions (by running `brew install` commands) This would need a small autotools project to demonstrate an error message such as ``` configure:666666: error: possibly undefined macro: AM_ICONV ``` Running `brew link --force gettext` merely prints ``` Warning: Refusing to link macOS provided/shadowed software: gettext If you need to have gettext first in your PATH run: echo 'export PATH="/usr/local/opt/gettext/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bash_profile For compilers to find gettext you may need to set: export LDFLAGS="-L/usr/local/opt/gettext/lib" export CPPFLAGS="-I/usr/local/opt/gettext/include" ``` giving no clue regarding the fate of m4 files. While one may go and manually create symlinks to the files in `/usr/local/opt/gettext/share/aclocal/` at `/usr/local/share/aclocal/`, this ought to happen automatically.

I think it is impossible to add the new path for every package at build time.
My solution was to add
export ACLOCAL_PATH=“/usr/share/gettext/m4”
to /etc/profile.d/gettext.sh

What is the proper solution for this?

Thanx

Yochanan · 8 July 2025 23:55

Always check the comments.