Installing bison - receiving m4 error.

[GBR]

While doing a ./configure for bison I receive the error:

checking for gm4... no
checking for gnum4... no
checking for m4... /usr/bin/m4
checking whether m4 supports frozen files... no
configure: error: GNU M4 1.4 is required

Does anyone know why I'm getting this error and how to fix it?

I'm running this on HP-UX 11.0 box and have just installed GNU m4 1.4.

GBR

[Steven E. Protter · Accepted solution]

Shalom,

Most likely the PATH variable does not include the install point for GNU m4. /usr/bin/m4 is probably not where GNU m4 is installed. Change the PATH includes the actual m4 you need before /usr/bin

SEP

[GBR]

Thanks SEP,

I'm pretty sure that will work, but that would involve modifying /etc/PATH right?

Is putting /usr/local/bin before /usr/bin a bad thing?

Greg

[Steven E. Protter]

No, Don't change /etc/PATH unless this is a primary function if this machine. Checking the actual path of GNU m4 first is not such a bad thing, but /usr/bin is pretty crucial and its not the worst idea to have it near the beginning of the PATH

The reason I don't recommend chaning /etc/PATH is picky and the way I do things.

Better to do this right before configuring bison.

PATH=:$PATH

example

PATH=/usr/local/bin/gnu/m4:$PATH

This sticks gnu in ahead of the m4 that is not capble of working with bison.

You can modify PATH in any number of ways but I prefer the way I just told you.

Gave fun and good luck. Note: The End of Support date on 11.00 is December 31, this year.

SEP

[GBR]

SEP,

Good advice.

I set the PATH just before configuration to /usr/local/bin (it worked). It didn't work with /user/local/bin/m4.

To clarify, if I set the PATH for the bison build, the bison app will always use the PATH that was set at compilation time (which is PATH=/usr/local/bin:$PATH)?

Greg

[Steven E. Protter]

Yes Greg,

Glad to help btw.

what /usr/local/bin/m4

This should enable you to confirm that this is indeed the gnu version of m4.

There may be a need to change the ./configure file. I'm not the worlds greatest compiler, so can't be sure about that. There may be further advice in the README and other compile instructions that ship with bison source code.

SEP

[Peter Nikitka]

Hi,

if the location of the m4 macro processor is configurable,

configure --help

will tell you the required option.

mfG Peter

[GBR]

Closed.