Uncompilable 'setup' program !

[Max Bowsher]

>Subject: Uncompilable 'setup' program !
>   From: "Yann Crausaz" <yann_crausaz@bluemail.ch>

>Currently, for my diploma work, I'm working on a port of RPM-4.1 for Cygwin
>(which is actually nearly functionnal...), and I'd like to modify the "setup"
>program to enable installations of programs in RPM format (hopefully!).
>
>But here comes my problem : I just can't recompile setup-2.249.2.5-1-src.tar.bz2
>(which is expanded into setup-2.249.2.5.tar.bz2, and then into setup-0),
>even whithout having changed anything in the source.

>io_stream.h:34: conflicting types for `typedef long int ssize_t'
>/usr/include/sys/types.h:164: previous declaration as `typedef _ssize_t
>ssize_t'

>I just did a './configure' and then a 'make'. What am I doing wrong ? In
>which environment did Mr Delorie build his 'setup' tool ?

Robert Collins is primary setup maintainer now.

That error is a bug.

Setup can be compiled in 2 modes: -mno-cygwin (since obviously setup can't depend on cygwin, since it hasn't been installed yet), and normal Cygwin dependant mode (some people prefer to debug it that way).

The Cygwin mode is broken slightly, through lack of maintenance.
See http://sources.redhat.com/ml/cygwin-apps/2002-11/msg00085.html for a patch.

Also, setup has changed a lot in CVS since then. There is one bug:
See http://sources.redhat.com/ml/cygwin-apps/2002-11/msg00128.html
But it only impacts autoselection. Your descision to tolerate the bug until it is fixed, or to need to forward-port your changes to the latest version of setup.

Max.