Bug 163282 – When the system date is wrong. Ex. for example with an old date. The configure script of gettext will loop forever.

• Product: Gentoo Linux
• Status: VERIFIED CANTFIX

[Description Stefan de Konink 2007-01-22 18:41:38 UTC]

Usually with new systems I prefer not to set the date right away. Some light error messages about the date of the file is 'newer than'. Gettext on the other hand fails to run its configure scripts because of this.

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. set date on 2006-x-x
2. emerge gettext

Actual Results:  
Looping configure.

Expected Results:  
One error, then continue.

[Comment 1 Jakub Moc (RETIRED) 2007-01-22 19:18:09 UTC]

So fix your system clock; nothing we could do here.

[Comment 2 Stefan de Konink 2007-01-22 21:46:58 UTC]

You miss the point. Nowhere on the install CD is mentioned the time should be set right in order to make the system compile right. Since the other packages 'just' work something gets wrong in gettext, the fix is easy (see 'minor' issue). But a new user would never found out that it is related to the time being 'too old'.

So I almost wonder: shouldn't there be something like ntp in place on the install CD.

[Comment 3 Jakub Moc (RETIRED) 2007-01-22 23:10:50 UTC]

(In reply to comment #2)
> You miss the point. Nowhere on the install CD is mentioned the time should be
> set right in order to make the system compile right

Oh RLY?!

http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/handbook-x86.xml?part=1&chap=5

[Comment 4 Stefan de Konink 2007-01-22 23:39:31 UTC]

(In reply to comment #3)
> (In reply to comment #2)
> > You miss the point. Nowhere on the install CD is mentioned the time should be
> > set right in order to make the system compile right
> 
> Oh RLY?!
> 
> http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/handbook-x86.xml?part=1&chap=5

"A misconfigured clock may lead to strange results in the future!"

Thank you for making this friendly notice. Someone suggested me to point out that implementing a loop killer wouldn't be a bad idea anyway, since my stupidity triggered the issue, there must be other situations where configure can't complete and restarts itself.

[Comment 5 Jakub Moc (RETIRED) 2007-01-22 23:49:11 UTC]

You know, it's autotools feature to check timestamps and update stuff accordingly; feel free to rewrite autoconf and automake and submit your fixes upstream. Meanwhile fix your system clock since there's nothing we could do about it.