Re: [Gnu-arch-users] [configure] test for diff/diff3

[Tom Lord]

    > From: Ollivier Robert <address@hidden>

    > I'm having problems with patch-286 on MacOS X (10.3.1). The
    > configure test finds that my diff/diff3 have troubles handling
    > EOL but they have been working perfectly since the beginning
    > with tla so I'm a bit worried about the test.

    > MacOS X:

    > 330 [10:43] address@hidden:/tmp> diff -u ,,tmp/nl_eof_a ,,tmp/nl_eof_b 
2>/dev/null | grep '^\\ No newline'
    > 331 [10:44] address@hidden:/tmp> echo $?
    > 1

There are two ways you might notice the problem with your diff/patch combo:

a) if they don't actually handle non-newline-terminated files
   correctly

   You'll only notice if you actually create such a file in your
   source tree.

b) if they _do_ actually handle non-newline-terminated files
   correctly -- but in a way different from the diff/patch combos 
   on other systems

   I hear rumors that some BSD flavors have this problem.   You 
   can be bitten by it if (1) you have some non-newline-terminated
   files in your tree  (2) you try to use your archive on some other
   system where diff/patch behave more conventionally

Those two ways to be bitten leave lots and lots of room for operating
just fine without ever having a problem.   Nevertheless, you really 
should be using a diff (at least in tla) that generates portable 
patches.   

So my first guess is that, in fact, the config script is correct.

This, however, confuses me:


    > Interestingly, my FreeBSD 4.8 which is supposed to have a bad diff/diff3
    > fails with both the standard diff and a pristine GNU diff.

    > 243 [10:52] address@hidden:src/=build> CFLAGS="-O -pipe" ../configure
    > --prefix /usr/local --with-gnu-diff gdiff --with-gnu-diff3 gdiff3

    > The configured versions of diff and diff3 do not handle files
    > not ending in newline correctly.

    >   configured diff = gdiff.
    >   configured diff3 = gdiff3.

    > Use config options
    >   --gnu-diff
    >   --gnu-diff3

    > I suspect the nonl-safe-diff script isn't doing his job properly.

What _version_ of Gnu diff are you using?   If it is an old version, 
please try a more recent one.

-t