GNU bug report logs - #51609
version.texi UPDATED field does not account for timezone; can cause unnecessary documentation rebuilds, which could fail

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From: help-debbugs <at> gnu.org (GNU bug Tracking System)
To: Ryan Schmidt <automake <at> ryandesign.com>
Subject: bug#51609: closed (Re: bug#51609: version.texi UPDATED field does
 not account for timezone;  can cause unnecessary documentation rebuilds,
 which could fail)
Date: Sun, 28 Nov 2021 01:46:02 +0000

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Your bug report

#51609: version.texi UPDATED field does not account for timezone; can cause unnecessary documentation rebuilds, which could fail

which was filed against the automake package, has been closed.

The explanation is attached below, along with your original report.
If you require more details, please reply to 51609 <at> debbugs.gnu.org.

-- 
51609: http://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug=51609
GNU Bug Tracking System
Contact help-debbugs <at> gnu.org with problems

[Message part 2 (message/rfc822, inline)]

From: Karl Berry <karl <at> freefriends.org>
To: 51609-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#51609: version.texi UPDATED field does not account for
 timezone; 
 can cause unnecessary documentation rebuilds, which could fail
Date: Sat, 27 Nov 2021 18:45:18 -0700

[Message part 3 (message/rfc822, inline)]

From: Ryan Schmidt <automake <at> ryandesign.com>
To: bug-automake <at> gnu.org
Subject: version.texi UPDATED field does not account for timezone; can cause
 unnecessary documentation rebuilds, which could fail
Date: Fri, 5 Nov 2021 06:01:44 -0500

The method by which automake decides to regenerate version.texi and thereby to regenerate texinfo-based documentation is flawed because it does not account for the fact that the user's timezone may be different from the developer's timezone. The version.texi UPDATED and UPDATED-MONTH fields do not specify a timezone. If configure has been modified and if the user's timezone is sufficiently different from the developer's, then UPDATED or less frequently UPDATED-MONTH may change even though the texinfo sources' timestamps have not, which will cause an unnecessary documentation rebuild, which may fail. For a build failure that was caused by this flaw, see:

https://trac.macports.org/ticket/63570#comment:5

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