Recipe for target `autoloads' failed while building Emacs in Cygwin

Question

I am trying to build Emacs on 64-bit Windows 7 using Cyqwin:

Emacs 23.3 or 23.4

CYGWIN_NT-6.1-WOW64 1.7.11(0.260/5/3) 2012-02-24 14:05 i686 Cygwin

Some info from ./configure log:

    What compiler should emacs be built with?    
    gcc -g -O2 -Wdeclarati
    What operating system and machine description files should Emacs use?
    `s/cygwin.h' and `m/intel386.h'

I am able to create Makefile without problems. However, if I run make procedure, it is building for couple of minutes then, in certain point, it gets stuck for 2 minutes and then produces error:

Makefile:149: recipe for target `autoloads' failed
make[2]: *** [autoloads] Interrupt
Makefile:198: recipe for target `/cygdrive/c/emacs-23.3/src/../lisp/loaddefs.el' failed
make[1]: *** [/cygdrive/c/emacs-23.3/src/../lisp/loaddefs.el] Interrupt
Makefile:339: recipe for target `src' failed
make: *** [src] Interrupt

In both cases (Emacs 23.3 and 23.4) Makefile:149 referes to the same part of a makefile in Emacs\lisp folder:

    149 autoloads: $(LOADDEFS) doit
    150 , chmod +w $(lisp)/ps-print.el $(lisp)/emulation/tpu-edt.el \
    151    $(lisp)/emacs-lisp/cl-loaddefs.el $(lisp)/mail/rmail.el \
    152    $(lisp)/dired.el $(lisp)/ibuffer.el
    153  wd=$(lisp); $(setwins_almost); \
    154  echo Directories: $$wins; \
    155  $(emacs) -l autoload --eval '(setq generated-autoload-file "$(lisp)/loaddefs.el")' -f batch-update-autoloads $$wins

in version 23.3. the building gets stuck while generating autoloads for *.el files:

    Generating autoloads for progmodes/cc-mode.el...
    Generating autoloads for progmodes/cc-mode.el...done
    Generating autoloads for progmodes/cc-styles.el...
    Generating autoloads for progmodes/cc-styles.el...done
    Generating autoloads for progmodes/cc-vars.el...
    Generating autoloads for progmodes/cc-vars.el...done
    Generating autoloads for international/ccl.el...
    Makefile:149: recipe for target `autoloads' failed
    make[2]: *** [autoloads] Interrupt

in verison 23.4 the building gets stuck while saving loaddefs:

    make[2]: Entering directory `/cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp'
    chmod +w /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/ps-print.el /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/emulation/tpu-edt.el \
    /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/emacs-lisp/cl-loaddefs.el /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/mail/rmail.el \
    /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/dired.el /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/ibuffer.el
    wd=/cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp; subdirs=`(cd $wd; find . -type d -print)`;  for file in $subdirs; do  case $file in */Old | */RCS | */CVS | */CVS/* | */.* | */.*/* | */=* | */obsolete | */term ) ;;  *) wins="$wins $wd/$file" ;;  esac;  done           ; \
    echo Directories: $wins; \
    EMACSLOADPATH=/cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp LC_ALL=C ../src/bootstrap-emacs.exe -batch --no-site-file --multibyte -l autoload --eval '(setq generated-autoload-file "/cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/loaddefs.el")' -f batch-update-autoloads $wins
    Directories: /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/. /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./calc /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./calendar /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./cedet /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./cedet/ede /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./cedet/semantic /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./cedet/semantic/analyze /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./cedet/semantic/bovine /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./cedet/semantic/decorate/cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./cedet/semantic/symref /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./cedet/semantic/wisent /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./cedet/srecode /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./emacs-lisp /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./emulation /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./erc /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./eshell /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./gnus /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./international /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./language /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./mail /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./mh-e /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./net /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./nxml /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./org /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./play /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./progmodes /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./textmodes /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./url
    Saving file /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/loaddefs.el...
    Makefile:149: recipe for target `autoloads' failed
    make[2]: *** [autoloads] Interrupt

Does anyone have a clue how can I fix this bug? Wrong C compiler ? Change Makefile? Use 'make' with some parameter?

Thank you for any help or reference.

************PART2************

Ok, so here is the continuing according to your advices:

1# make autoloads is not possible as it is because this sub-part is in the sub-makefile so it will produce error:

$ make autoloads
chmod +w /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/ps-print.el /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/emulation/tpu-edt.el \
  /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/emacs-lisp/cl-loaddefs.el /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisps/mail/rmail.el \
   /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/dired.el /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/ibuffer.el
 wd=/cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp; subdirs=`(cd $wd; find . -type d -print)`;  for file in $subdirs; do  case $file in */Old | */RCS | */CVS | */CVS/* | */.* | */.*/* | */=* | */obsolete | */term ) ;;  *) wins="$wins $wd/$file" ;;  esac;  done; \
echo Directories: $wins; \
EMACSLOADPATH=/cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp LC_ALL=C ../src/emacs -batch --no-site-file --multibyte -l autoload --eval '(setq generated-autoload-file "/cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/loaddefs.el")' -f batch-update-autoloads $wins
Directories: /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/. /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./calc /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./calendar /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./cedet /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./cedet/ede /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./cedet/semantic /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./cedet/semantic/analyze /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./cedet/semantic/bovine /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./cedet/semantic/decorate /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./cedet/semantic/symref /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./cedet/semantic/wisent /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./cedet/srecode /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./emacs-lisp /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./emulation /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./erc /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./eshell /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./gnus /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./international /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./language /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./mail /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./mh-e /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./net /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./nxml /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./org /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./play /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./progmodes /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./textmodes /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp/./url
 /bin/sh: line 2: ../src/emacs: No such file or directory
 Makefile:149: recipe for target `autoloads' failed
 make: *** [autoloads] Error 127

If I am doing something wrong, please correct me.

2# removing $(LOADDEFS) doit in deed does not change the result

3# To run just the first part

autoloads:
   chmod +w $(lisp)/ps-print.el $(lisp)/emulation/tpu-edt.el \
  $(lisp)/emacs-lisp/cl-loaddefs.el $(lisp)/mail/rmail.el \
  $(lisp)/dired.el $(lisp)/ibuffer.el

resolves in no error within autoloads,

however after 20 sec it froze for a while and produces another error

(description of this problem is bellow)

4# To run the second part only:

autoloads:
   wd=$(lisp); $(setwins_almost); \
   echo Directories: $$wins; \
   $(emacs) -l autoload --eval '(setq generated-autoload-file "$(lisp)/loaddefs.el")' -f batch-update-autoloads $$wins

creshed with origin error

5# to run autoloads as in 3# also with

 wd=$(lisp);

autoloads without error, later same error as in 3#

6# run autoloads with wd=$(lisp);$(setwins_almost); autoloads without error, later same error as in 3#

7# add also line

echo Directories: $$wins; 

autoloads without error, later same error as in 3#

8# add also line

$(emacs) -l autoload --eval '(setq generated-autoload-file "$(lisp)/loaddefs.el")' -f batch-update-autoloads $$wins

the origin error, of course

DESCRIPTION of 2nd ERROR (part 3#):

make[2]: Entering directory `/cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp'
Compiling /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/src/../lisp/abbrev.el
>>Error occurred processing /cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/src/../lisp/abbrev.el: Symbol's value as variabl                        e is void ((warning-series))
Makefile:1478: recipe for target `compile-onefile' failed
make[2]: *** [compile-onefile] Error 1
make[2]: Leaving directory `/cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/lisp'
Makefile:195: recipe for target `/cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/src/../lisp/abbrev.elc' failed
make[1]: *** [/cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/src/../lisp/abbrev.elc] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory `/cygdrive/c/emacs-23.4/src'
Makefile:339: recipe for target `src' failed
make: *** [src] Error 2

before that a lot of *.el files are compiled

part of the Makefile in lisp/

     # The src/Makefile.in has its own set of dependencies and when they decide
     # that one Lisp file needs to be re-compiled, we had better recompile it as
     # well, otherwise every subsequent make will again call us, until we finally
     # end up deciding that yes, the file deserves recompilation.
     # One option is to try and reproduce exactly the same dependencies here as
     # we have in src/Makefile.in, but it turns out to be painful
     # (e.g. src/Makefile.in may have a dependency for ../lisp/foo.elc where we
     # only know of $(lisp)/foo.elc).  So instead we provide a direct way for
     # src/Makefile.in to rebuild a particular Lisp file, no questions asked.
     # Use byte-compile-refresh-preloaded to try and work around some of
     # the most common problems of not bootstrapping from a clean state.
1477     compile-onefile:
1478         @echo Compiling $(THEFILE)
1479         @# Use byte-compile-refresh-preloaded to try and work around some of
1480         @# the most common bootstrapping problems.
1481         @$(emacs) -l bytecomp -f byte-compile-refresh-preloaded  $(BYTE_COMPILE_EXTRA_FLAGS) -f batch-byte-compile $(THEFILE)

There is a list of ELC files in Makefile:

## Explicitly list the .elc files, for the sake of parallel builds.
## http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-gnu-emacs/2008-05/msg00016.html
## This can probably be done more elegantly, but needs to be portable.
ELCFILES = \
    $(lisp)/abbrev.elc \
    $(lisp)/abbrevlist.elc \
    $(lisp)/add-log.elc \
    $(lisp)/align.elc \
    $(lisp)/allout.elc \
    $(lisp)/ansi-color.elc \
    $(lisp)/apropos.elc \
    $(lisp)/arc-mode.elc \

...

    $(lisp)/info.elc \
    $(lisp)/informat.elc \
    $(lisp)/international/ccl.elc \
    $(lisp)/international/characters.elc \
    $(lisp)/international/fontset.elc \
    $(lisp)/international/isearch-x.elc \

The Makefile somewhy recreates *.el files maybe from *.elc files, however all *.el files are already there. OK now I have two errors insted of one : )(if there are not connected of course)

Thank you again.

Answer 1

Generated makefiles are notoriously hard to maintain and troubleshoot, but we can try. The rule in question has two prerequisites and two commands, the second composed of four shell commands strung together:

autoloads: $(LOADDEFS) doit
    chmod +w $(lisp)/ps-print.el $(lisp)/emulation/tpu-edt.el \
   $(lisp)/emacs-lisp/cl-loaddefs.el $(lisp)/mail/rmail.el \
   $(lisp)/dired.el $(lisp)/ibuffer.el
   wd=$(lisp); $(setwins_almost); \
   echo Directories: $$wins; \
   $(emacs) -l autoload --eval '(setq generated-autoload-file "$(lisp)/loaddefs.el")' -f batch-update-autoloads $$wins

First I would try make autoloads. If that gives the same error, we can proceed, otherwise post the results.

Then remove the prerequisites ($(LOADDEFS) doit), since they should be idempotent and have no effect of the operation of this rule (unless the makefile is really convoluted) and try again.

Then split the command into smaller commands and try one by one. First

autoloads:
    chmod +w $(lisp)/ps-print.el $(lisp)/emulation/tpu-edt.el \
   $(lisp)/emacs-lisp/cl-loaddefs.el $(lisp)/mail/rmail.el \
   $(lisp)/dired.el $(lisp)/ibuffer.el

This should give no error. If it does then probably one of those files is missing; post the results. If not then try the second command without the first:

autoloads:
   wd=$(lisp); $(setwins_almost); \
   echo Directories: $$wins; \
   $(emacs) -l autoload --eval '(setq generated-autoload-file "$(lisp)/loaddefs.el")' -f batch-update-autoloads $$wins

I expect this will give the same error as originally; if not, just put the first command back in and proceed.

Now break down the second command. We can't omit the early parts, since the later parts depend on them, so first try

autoloads:
   wd=$(lisp);

That should work, unless lisp is something weird (yeah, yeah, I know). Then

autoloads:
   wd=$(lisp); $(setwins_almost);

I'll bet that's where it fails, but if not, continue:

autoloads:
   wd=$(lisp); $(setwins_almost); \
   echo Directories: $$wins; 

That should work. Then

autoloads:
   wd=$(lisp); $(setwins_almost); \
   echo Directories: $$wins; \
   $(emacs) -l autoload --eval '(setq generated-autoload-file "$(lisp)/loaddefs.el")' -f batch-update-autoloads $$wins

will almost certainly fail.

That's enough for a first pass. Tell us the results and we'll proceed.