GNU bug report logs - #12177
mdate-sh scriptversion=2009-04-28.21; # UTC

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Message #5 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: doug <doug <at> mechalogic.net>
To: bug-automake <at> gnu.org
Subject: mdate-sh scriptversion=2009-04-28.21; # UTC
Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2012 20:59:47 -0400

This file is found in make-3.82 and autotools packages.

It runs forever some systems. Note below:

# TIME_STYLE="posix-long-iso" echo x`/home/doug/gentoo/bin/ls -L -d -n /` 
xdrwxr-xr-x 22 0 0 512 July 24 01:43 /
                       ^^^^

Now look at line 114

    Jul) month=July; nummonth=7;;

July will never match Jul and so the loop is infinite.

Regards
- Doug

Message #8 received at 12177 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Stefano Lattarini <stefano.lattarini <at> gmail.com>
To: doug <doug <at> mechalogic.net>
Cc: 12177 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#12177: mdate-sh scriptversion=2009-04-28.21; # UTC
Date: Sun, 12 Aug 2012 10:56:19 +0200

Hi Doug, thanks for the report.

On 08/11/2012 02:59 AM, doug wrote:
> This file is found in make-3.82 and autotools packages.
>
Which Automake version?

> It runs forever some systems.
>
Not anymore, since Ralf Wildenhues fixed it two years ago (2010-08-21)
with commit v1.11-188-gb268a1f "Improve robustness of mdate-sh script":

    Improve robustness of mdate-sh script.

    * lib/mdate-sh: Sanitize zsh behavior on startup, to ensure
    $ls_command is word-split properly upon invocation.
    (error): New function.
    (main): Use it.  Improve error checking to avoid endless loop
    in case $ls_command gave bogus output.  Fix eval quotation.
    * tests/mdate6.test: New test, to expose eval quotation error.
    * tests/Makefile.am: Update.

The script will still experience an error, though (which is better
than an endless loop).

> Note below:
> 
> # TIME_STYLE="posix-long-iso" echo x`/home/doug/gentoo/bin/ls -L -d -n /` 
> xdrwxr-xr-x 22 0 0 512 July 24 01:43 /
>                        ^^^^
>
What happens if TIME_STYLE is simply unset?

> Now look at line 114
> 
>     Jul) month=July; nummonth=7;;
> 
> July will never match Jul and so the loop is infinite.
> 
> Regards
> - Doug

Thanks,
  Stefano

Message #15 received at 12177 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Stefano Lattarini <stefano.lattarini <at> gmail.com>
To: doug <doug <at> mechalogic.net>
Cc: 12177 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#12177: mdate-sh scriptversion=2009-04-28.21; # UTC
Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2012 11:34:46 +0100

Reference:
<http://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug=12177>

On 08/12/2012 10:56 AM, Stefano Lattarini wrote:
> Hi Doug, thanks for the report.
> 
> On 08/11/2012 02:59 AM, doug wrote:
>> This file is found in make-3.82 and autotools packages.
>>
> Which Automake version?
> 
>> It runs forever some systems.
>>
> Not anymore, since Ralf Wildenhues fixed it two years ago (2010-08-21)
> with commit v1.11-188-gb268a1f "Improve robustness of mdate-sh script":
> 
>     Improve robustness of mdate-sh script.
> 
>     * lib/mdate-sh: Sanitize zsh behavior on startup, to ensure
>     $ls_command is word-split properly upon invocation.
>     (error): New function.
>     (main): Use it.  Improve error checking to avoid endless loop
>     in case $ls_command gave bogus output.  Fix eval quotation.
>     * tests/mdate6.test: New test, to expose eval quotation error.
>     * tests/Makefile.am: Update.
> 
> The script will still experience an error, though (which is better
> than an endless loop).
> 
>> Note below:
>>
>> # TIME_STYLE="posix-long-iso" echo x`/home/doug/gentoo/bin/ls -L -d -n /` 
>> xdrwxr-xr-x 22 0 0 512 July 24 01:43 /
>>                        ^^^^
>>
> What happens if TIME_STYLE is simply unset?
> 
>> Now look at line 114
>>
>>     Jul) month=July; nummonth=7;;
>>
>> July will never match Jul and so the loop is infinite.
>>
>> Regards
>> - Doug
> 
Any news on this bug?  To avoid keeping the Automake bug tracker overly
cluttered, I'm going to close the report in a few days if I don't hear
anything back.

Regards,
  Stefano

Message #20 received at 12177-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Stefano Lattarini <stefano.lattarini <at> gmail.com>
To: doug <doug <at> mechalogic.net>
Cc: 12177-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#12177: mdate-sh scriptversion=2009-04-28.21; # UTC
Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2012 13:37:00 +0100

On 11/21/2012 11:34 AM, Stefano Lattarini wrote:
> Reference:
> <http://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug=12177>
> 
> On 08/12/2012 10:56 AM, Stefano Lattarini wrote:
>> Hi Doug, thanks for the report.
>>
>> On 08/11/2012 02:59 AM, doug wrote:
>>> This file is found in make-3.82 and autotools packages.
>>>
>> Which Automake version?
>>
>>> It runs forever some systems.
>>>
>> Not anymore, since Ralf Wildenhues fixed it two years ago (2010-08-21)
>> with commit v1.11-188-gb268a1f "Improve robustness of mdate-sh script":
>>
>>     Improve robustness of mdate-sh script.
>>
>>     * lib/mdate-sh: Sanitize zsh behavior on startup, to ensure
>>     $ls_command is word-split properly upon invocation.
>>     (error): New function.
>>     (main): Use it.  Improve error checking to avoid endless loop
>>     in case $ls_command gave bogus output.  Fix eval quotation.
>>     * tests/mdate6.test: New test, to expose eval quotation error.
>>     * tests/Makefile.am: Update.
>>
>> The script will still experience an error, though (which is better
>> than an endless loop).
>>
>>> Note below:
>>>
>>> # TIME_STYLE="posix-long-iso" echo x`/home/doug/gentoo/bin/ls -L -d -n /` 
>>> xdrwxr-xr-x 22 0 0 512 July 24 01:43 /
>>>                        ^^^^
>>>
>> What happens if TIME_STYLE is simply unset?
>>
>>> Now look at line 114
>>>
>>>     Jul) month=July; nummonth=7;;
>>>
>>> July will never match Jul and so the loop is infinite.
>>>
>>> Regards
>>> - Doug
>>
> Any news on this bug?  To avoid keeping the Automake bug tracker overly
> cluttered, I'm going to close the report in a few days if I don't hear
> anything back.
>
No further feedback has been received, so I'm closing this report.

Regards,
  Stefano

Message #23 received at 12177 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Stefano Lattarini <stefano.lattarini <at> gmail.com>
To: B Douglas Hilton <doug <at> mechalogic.net>
Cc: 12177 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#12177: mdate-sh scriptversion=2009-04-28.21; # UTC
Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2012 21:55:24 +0100

On 11/26/2012 09:29 PM, B Douglas Hilton wrote:
>
> Sorry I didn't get back to you in time.
>
No problem, the bug can still be reopened at any time if the need arise.

> As far as I know the bug is still present and will be until the end of
> time unless every old version of every program that ever used the flawed
> autotools versions were to be patched.
>
But what I was asking was: if you copy the new version of the mdate-sh
script in a package that was using the buggy version, does the error
disappear?  If yes, we can be satisfied to have done our part.

> It is probably just as well that you closed it as I have neither
> the time nor ability to generate the thousands of patches that
> would have been required to fix this.
>
> - Doug

Thanks, and best regards,
  Stefano

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