insane ./configure in github circleci

[linas]

Github seems to be using two different sets of autoconf macros in different instances. The one on this git repo is "sane" and seems to be the same as what I've got on my development machine. The one on linas/link-grammar seems to be insane. As a result, circleci fails on linas/link-grammar but works here.

Working configure output:

72 checking for suffix of object files... o
73 checking whether we are using the GNU C compiler... yes
74 ...
75 checking for /home/runner/work/link-grammar/link-grammar/bindings/js/emsdk/fastcomp/emscripten/emcc option to accept ISO C89... none needed

Failing configure output:

72 checking for suffix of object files... o
73 checking whether the compiler supports GNU C... yes
74 ...
75 checking for /home/runner/work/link-grammar/link-grammar/bindings/js/emsdk/fastcomp/emscripten/emcc option to enable C11 features... none needed

First diff is at line 73: my configure has the message "checking whether we are using the GNU C compiler" at line 4193 of the configure script. It has "option to accept ISO C89" at line 4308

My configure script does not have the message "checking whether the compiler supports GNU C" anywhere. It also doesn't have "option to enable C11 features" anywhere.

That means .. autogen.sh is producing two different configures on these two instances. WTF.

[linas]

Using commit 08b21f8

I'm able to verify the problem is in AC_PROG_CC. The first echo is at line 3615 and the second is at line 4655 which bracket the problem area.

[linas]

Failing test:

https://github.com/linas/link-grammar/actions/runs/3551719391/jobs/5966133663

[linas]

Hmm. Today, the failing configure is getting used on the main repo.

[leha-bot]

maybe it's better to migrate on CMake which supports Emscripten (and another OSes) far more better? I may try to help with it

[linas]

Hi Alex,

If you create a CMake infrastructure, that wold be fine, and I'd merge the pull reqs. It's used in all the other parts of OpenCog, so that's a plus.

As to Emscripten & JavaScript in general; there is no one out there that is using the javascript bindings. I think these mostly more-or-less work, and the issue is with github itself (I guess) Every now and then, Amir & I make a token effort to fix this up, but without some javascript user insisting on something, not much happens.