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Re: GNU M4 1.4.3 exit status


From: John Gatewood Ham
Subject: Re: GNU M4 1.4.3 exit status
Date: Mon, 10 Oct 2005 13:55:48 +0700 (ICT)

Hello,

    Attached is the patch you requested.  'make check' still works.
Do you want me to add a test for this new behavior?  Do you want
the info file to contain information about EXIT STATUS like the
man page does?  I can add that if you wish.

JGH

On Sat, 8 Oct 2005, Eric Blake wrote:

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According to John Gatewood Ham on 10/8/2005 2:07 PM:
GNU m4 people,

When invoking m4 if you specify a file that does not exist
the return code when exiting is still 0 but you have an error
message.  The man page shows that you will exit with 0
only if there are no errors.  I am using version 1.4.3
compiled from source.

This is indeed a bug in 1.4.3, contrary to POSIX (which requires that if a
program output diagnostic information to stderr, it fail with a nonzero
exit status).


"EXIT STATUS
       The following exit values shall be returned:

        0     Successful completion.

      >0     An error occurred"

A missing (or unreadable) input file counts as an error, and m4 should be
patched to return 1 in that case.

The README file says send bugs to address@hidden,
but the web page here http://www.seindal.dk/rene/gnu/feedback.htm
says send them to address@hidden

I sent it to both places to be sure.  I hope at least one
of the addresses was the correct place to send this bug report.

bug-m4 is probably the best m4-specific list (and the one where I saw this
mail), but <bug-gnu-utils AT gnu DOT org> is also well read.  The
prep.ai.mit.edu domain is a holdover from historical past, although it may
still forward properly.  In any case, you did the right thing in reporting
it.  Just be aware that the official m4 maintainer is currently occupied
with trying to get libtool 2.0 ready to release, so it may be a while
before a patch to m4 is provided (unless you can volunteer to help
contribute one).

- --
Life is short - so eat dessert first!

Eric Blake             address@hidden
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Attachment: m4-1.4.3.patch
Description: Text document


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