Re: building GNU gettext on AIX

[Bruno Haible]

Hi David,

> the default, distributed libintl library will not allow GCC to be built
> with NLS enabled.

The problem is this configure test from gettext.m4

  checking for GNU gettext in libintl... no

It should say

  checking for GNU gettext in libintl... yes

I reproduce it with simple hello-world package, outside GCC.

It tests whether a program that uses gettext() can be linked with
  -lintl -liconv
But now, on AIX, it needs to test whether such a program can be linked with
  -lintl -liconv -lpthread

> Were you suggesting that --enable-threads=isoc would work now or that it
> would require further changes for a future release?

It requires a change, effectively to do as if HAVE_PTHREAD_API is undefined
if --enable-threads=isoc was provided.

I can prepare a new gettext release that has both issues fixed:
  - gettext.m4 that fixes the configure test and sets the variable LIBINTL
    to "-Lsome/libdir -lintl -liconv -lpthread",
  - mbrtowc.o and setlocale*.o that use mtx_* locks instead of pthread_*
    mutexes when requested.

But you then need to make up your mind w.r.t. what I wrote in the earlier
mail.

  * GCC can pass --enable-threads=isoc, to avoid the libpthread dependency
    on AIX ≥ 7.2.

  * Or GCC can (continue to?) use the variable LIBINTL. This will work on
    AIX 7.1 as well but the programs will then be linked against libpthread.
    One additional library.
    $ ldd gcc
    /opt/freeware/bin/gcc needs:
         /usr/lib/libc.a(shr.o)
         /opt/freeware/lib/libiconv.a(libiconv.so.2)
         /usr/lib/libc.a(_shr.o)
         /unix
         /usr/lib/libcrypt.a(shr.o)
         /opt/freeware/lib/libgcc_s.a(shr.o)
    libpthread.a will be added to this list.

    ibm-clang links against libpthread.a as well:
    $ ldd /opt/IBM/openxlC/17.1.1/bin/.ibm-clang.orig
    /opt/IBM/openxlC/17.1.1/bin/.ibm-clang.orig needs:
         /usr/lib/libpthreads.a(shr_xpg5_64.o)
         /usr/opt/zlibNX/lib/libz.a(libz.so.1)
         /usr/lib/libcurses.a(shr42_64.o)
         /usr/lib/libiconv.a(shr4_64.o)
         /usr/lib/libc++.a(shr_64.o)
         /usr/lib/libc++abi.a(libc++abi.so.1)
         /usr/lib/libc.a(shr_64.o)
         /usr/lib/libpthreads.a(_shr_xpg5_64.o)
         /usr/lib/libc++.a(libc++.so.1)
         /usr/lib/libunwind.a(libunwind.so.1)
         /usr/lib/libc.a(_shr_64.o)
         /unix
         /usr/lib/libcrypt.a(shr_64.o)

Bruno