577017 - Cannot Edit configure.in file in source

Status: RESOLVED INVALID

(Firefox Build System :: General, defect)

Description

[Bill Lancashire]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:1.9.2.4) Gecko/20100612 Firefox/3.6.4
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:1.9.2.4) Gecko/20100612 Firefox/3.6.4

I want to make a few edits to the 'configure.in' file in the Firefox source tree, but all attempts to edit the file in various text editors result in the build failing.

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1.Download source tarball from mozilla FTP 'releases' folder (e.g. Firefox 3.6.6)
2.Un-tar the source file
3.open 'configure.in' with test editor (eg KWrite, KEdit, Kate)
4.immediate save file without any editing
5.Create simple mozconfig
6.Start build (e.g. gmake -f client.mk profiledbuild)
Actual Results:  
Build fails with this terminal output:

root@Toods2:/usr/src/firefox-4.0b1.source/mozilla-central# gmake -f client.mk profiledbuild
gmake -f /usr/src/firefox-4.0b1.source/mozilla-central/client.mk build MOZ_PROFILE_GENERATE=1
gmake[1]: Entering directory `/usr/src/firefox-4.0b1.source/mozilla-central'
Adding client.mk options from /usr/src/firefox-4.0b1.source/mozilla-central/.mozconfig:
    MOZ_CO_PROJECT=browser
    MOZ_OBJDIR=$(TOPSRCDIR)/ffobjs
    PROFILE_GEN_SCRIPT=/home/bill/run-firefox2.sh
/usr/src/firefox-4.0b1.source/mozilla-central/client.mk:284: *** Couldn't find autoconf 2.13.  Stop.
gmake[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/firefox-4.0b1.source/mozilla-central'
gmake: *** [profiledbuild] Error 2
root@Toods2:/usr/src/firefox-4.0b1.source/mozilla-central#

This has nothing to do with any changes I make to the file because if I simply open the file and immediately save it without changes the same build failure occurs.

Expected Results:  
Build to proceed as normal after opening and re-saving 'configure.in' file.

Note: my build always proceeds to completion if 'configure.in' file is untouched in source.

There is obviously a simple answer as to why I cannot edit 'configure.in' successfully, but I have been unable to find the answer by asking elsewhere.

Comment 1

[Aaron Train [:aaronmt]]

Your problem is right there in your post. 

*** Couldn't find autoconf 2.13

https://developer.mozilla.org/En/Developer_Guide/Build_Instructions#Build_prerequisites

Comment 2

[Bill Lancashire]

But I can build normally if I do not open up the 'configure.in' file and save it.

Doesn't the need for 'autoconf' suggest that the 'configure' file needs to be rebuilt as what I am doing corrupts it in some way?.

Comment 3

[Nick Thomas [:nthomas] (UTC+12)]

That's because the source tarballs for releases contain pre-generated configure's, for your convenience.

Comment 4

[Bill Lancashire]

Sorted it myself now.  It was just the 'timestamp' difference.