Re: fixing bugs in packages

[David Laight <david%l8s.co.uk@localhost>]

On Thu, May 10, 2012 at 11:55:54PM +0200, Edgar Fu? wrote:
> 
> > Removing some random hidden files seems to help a bit.
> 'make clean' also helps.

make clean deletes everything.....

> > 'make reinstall' does some useful stuff - but complains that the
> > package is already installed.
> I usually do make deinstall; make clean; make install.

You clearly aren't trying to fix broken code, just broken pkgsrc builds.

> > then carefully deletes all your edits!

> If you edit the pkgsrc Makefile, then it doesn't delete your edits.
> If you edited things in the upstream package, prepare a patch (diff -u
> from inside the work/foobar-47.11 directory) and put in into
> $LOCALPATCHES/foo/bar/something. Or into patches/patchxy if it's not a
> local issue.

Look I'm trying to add debug printfs to make the f*cking code work at all,
or to find out it deosn't work at all.
Maybe I'd want to generate patches, but only after I've sorted out the
real bug.
In any case, generating a patch isn't that easy, you need a copy of the
original file - which only exists inside the tar file (unless you
save a copy between every buold attempt).

> > Surely this is all rather hopeless.
> No, I don't think so.

I do :-)

        David

-- 
David Laight: david%l8s.co.uk@localhost