WIP: Switch build-dependencies to python3

The tests are designed to work with either python2 or python3. We should be able to simply switch build-dependencies to python3 equivalents. However if something transitively pulls in python2 the AM_PATH_PYTHON autoconf macro will find python(2) binary, so in that case we need to pass PYTHON=python3 to dh_auto_configure. We try to avoid this by bumping the gtk-doc-tools build-dep to > 1.29 since that version has been switched from python2 to python3.

Please note that the newer gtk-doc-tools is only available in EXPERIMENTAL yet.

This is the build log failure when building with gtk-doc-tools from experimental:

gtkdoc-mkhtml 2>&1 --help | grep  >/dev/null "\-\-path"; \
if test "$?" = "0"; then \
  mkhtml_options="$mkhtml_options --path=\"/build/network-manager-1.20.0/docs/libnm\""; \
fi; \
cd html && gtkdoc-mkhtml $mkhtml_options  libnm ../libnm-docs.xml
warning: failed to load external entity "../xml/nm-vpn-service-plugin.xml"
../libnm-docs.xml:295: element include: XInclude error : could not load ../xml/nm-vpn-service-plugin.xml, and no fallback was found
warning: failed to load external entity "../xml/nm-vpn-plugin-info.xml"
../libnm-docs.xml:296: element include: XInclude error : could not load ../xml/nm-vpn-plugin-info.xml, and no fallback was found
warning: failed to load external entity "../xml/nm-vpn-plugin-old.xml"
../libnm-docs.xml:299: element include: XInclude error : could not load ../xml/nm-vpn-plugin-old.xml, and no fallback was found
make[3]: *** [Makefile:897: html-build.stamp] Error 6
make[3]: Leaving directory '/build/network-manager-1.20.0/docs/libnm'
make[2]: *** [Makefile:16595: all-recursive] Error 1
make[2]: Leaving directory '/build/network-manager-1.20.0'
make[1]: *** [Makefile:7458: all] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory '/build/network-manager-1.20.0'
dh_auto_build: make -j5 returned exit code 2
make: *** [debian/rules:8: binary] Error 255
dpkg-buildpackage: error: debian/rules binary subprocess returned exit status 2
E: Failed autobuilding of package

Full build log attached.network-manager-1.20.0.log

https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=938944

(As previously discussed in the debian bts the alternative would be to not bump gtk-doc-tools build-dep and instead use the PYTHON=python3 environment variable to dh_auto_configure. This has the following drawbacks:

• NM will still transitively depend on python2
• NM will eventually have to work with the newer gtk-doc-tools anyway
• For unknown reasons the test-link-linux and test-route-linux tests now ERROR instead of as previously be SKIPed.

Targeting gtk-doc-tools > 1.29 seems like the better long term approach.)

I filed the build failure as https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/NetworkManager/NetworkManager/issues/238

Regarding the newer gtk-doc-tools dependency, would be great to have a time frame when this version of gtk-doc-tools will land in unstable.

added 1 commit

• 58d60084 - alternative

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closed

reopened

added 8 commits

• 57853c0e...857b32ce - 6 commits from branch master
• cd536a84 - Switch build-dependencies to python3
• 4a99f86e - build: use regexp in gtkdoc --ignore-decorators option

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Hi @ah,

the upstream build failure regarding gtk-doc-tools has been fixed in 1.20.2 and refined in 1.20.4

I decided to slightly modify your patch. I actually think it's preferable to explicitly set PYTHON=/usr/bin/python3 instead of bumping the gtk-doc-tools b-dep for the following reasons:

• It makes buster backports easier
• It doesn't entangle the gtk-doc-tools and python3 transition
• I can upload a fix to unstable today
• Given your comments in the commit message about AM_PATH_PYTHON preferring python(2) over python3, the build is less likely to fail in a tainted build environemnt.

That said, thanks again for the MR. I've uploaded 1.20.4-1 today which hopefully addresses https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=938944

closed

I agree that seems like a good aproach ATM. FWIW I've seen some debian-python people do Build-Conflicts against python2 to avoid problems with AM_PATH_PYTHON.

FYI The gnome 3.34 transitions was just approved and I unleached it by doing a bunch of uploads. Bet sorting that out will keep me busy for a while, but as soon as that is solved I'm basically planning on uploading gtk-doc to unstable. The bug reports I filed has been sitting for > 2 weeks now and there doesn't seem to be any reaction at all on them, so that gives me little interest in holding back the upload any longer.