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[netCDF #MXW-575671]: netCDF bug report: misleading error message

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  • Subject: [netCDF #MXW-575671]: netCDF bug report: misleading error message
  • Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2012 08:49:34 -0600
Hi Nico,

> When configuring netCDF against HDF5, the correctness of HDF5 is
> checked by compiling a small test program that #includes <hdf5.h>. If
> the program does not compile, the error message
> 
> [...]
> checking hdf5.h usability... no
> checking hdf5.h presence... no
> checking for hdf5.h... no
> configure: error: NetCDF-4 requires HDF5, but hdf5.h cannot be found.
> 
> is issued.
> The fact that program did not compile can have other reasons, though.
> If, for example, HDF5 is a parallel build and the netCDF is not
> instructed to use a parallel compiler (mpicc or the like), the same
> error message will appear. However,config.log reveals:
> 
> [...]
> configure:16220: result: no
> configure:16220: checking hdf5.h presence
> configure:16220: gcc -E  conftest.c
> In file included from /usr/local/include/hdf5.h:24:0,
> from conftest.c:104:
> /usr/local/include/H5public.h:61:20: fatal error: mpi.h: No such file
> or directory
> 
> It took me an awful lot of time to figure out that not HDF5 was broken
> but my choice of compiler (gcc is the default).
> 
> A simple fix would be to adapt the error message to something along
> the lines of: "A simple test program with HDF5 failed to compile.
> Check config.log for the exact error message."

Thanks for the excellent suggestion.  I've incorporated such an error message
the configure script, and it will be in the next release.

--Russ

Russ Rew                                         UCAR Unidata Program
address@hidden                      http://www.unidata.ucar.edu



Ticket Details
===================
Ticket ID: MXW-575671
Department: Support netCDF
Priority: Normal
Status: Closed