glib2 @2.38.1_0 Configure error

[cfedk@…]

Configuring glib2 hard-checks /usr/bin/python instead of using env. With python27 installed (via ports):

/opt/local/var/macports/logs/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_release_tarballs_ports_devel_glib2/glib2/main.log

:debug:configure Environment: CPATH='/opt/local/include' CXXFLAGS='-pipe -Os -arch x86_64' CPPFLAGS='-I/opt/local/include' ZLIB_CFLAGS='-I/opt/local/include' CFLAGS='-pipe -Os -fstrict-aliasing -arch x86_64' LIBRARY_PATH='/opt/local/lib' MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET='10.9' PERL='/opt/local/bin/perl' CXX='/usr/bin/clang++' CC_PRINT_OPTIONS_FILE='/opt/local/var/macports/build/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_release_tarballs_ports_devel_glib2/glib2/work/.CC_PRINT_OPTIONS' F90FLAGS='-pipe -Os -m64' LDFLAGS='-L/opt/local/lib -Wl,-headerpad_max_install_names -lresolv -bind_at_load -arch x86_64' LIBFFI_LIBS='-L/opt/local/lib -lffi' FCFLAGS='-pipe -Os -m64' OBJC='/usr/bin/clang' OBJCXX='/usr/bin/clang++' INSTALL='/usr/bin/install -c' PERL_PATH='/opt/local/bin/perl' PYTHON='/usr/bin/python' ZLIB_LIBS='-L/opt/local/lib -lz' FFLAGS='-pipe -Os -m64' OBJCXXFLAGS='-pipe -Os -arch x86_64' OBJCFLAGS='-pipe -Os -arch x86_64' LIBFFI_CFLAGS='-I/opt/local/lib/libffi-3.0.13/include' CC_PRINT_OPTIONS='YES' CC='/usr/bin/clang' PKG_CONFIG='false'
:debug:configure Assembled command: 'cd "/opt/local/var/macports/build/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_release_tarballs_ports_devel_glib2/glib2/work/glib-2.38.1" && ./configure --prefix=/opt/local --enable-static --disable-libelf --disable-compile-warnings --disable-dtrace'
:debug:configure Executing command line:  cd "/opt/local/var/macports/build/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_release_tarballs_ports_devel_glib2/glib2/work/glib-2.38.1" && ./configure --prefix=/opt/local --enable-static --disable-libelf --disable-compile-warnings --disable-dtrace
[...]
:info:configure checking whether /usr/bin/python version is >= 2.5... no
:info:configure configure: error: Python interpreter is too old

Solved by cd /usr/bin && ln -s /opt/local/bin/python

[cfedk@…]

Cc Me!

[ryandesign (Ryan Carsten Schmidt)]

What version of OS X are you using? The glib2 port is already correctly configured to use a suitable python. It only uses /usr/bin/python on OS X versions where it's known to be new enough. This suggests to me that you had already replaced /usr/bin/python with a too-old version before. And now you've replaced it again with a MacPorts python. You should restore /usr/bin/python to the correct Apple-supplied version that came with your OS.

[cfedk@…]

This is on Mavericks.

I have indeed been screwing around with the Python symlinks, so I realise that's my fault. It just seemed odd that configure would be checking /usr/bin/python rather than using env - which I assume other packages are, as they are installing just fine. I do apologise if this is a non-issue.

[ryandesign (Ryan Carsten Schmidt)]

It did use /usr/bin/env python but this failed when that was an incompatible version of python. glib2 requires python 2.5 through 2.7 inclusive. Neither earlier nor later versions work. So users on Tiger who had not installed and selected MacPorts python were getting the system's python 2.4, which failed. Users who installed and selected a MacPorts python3x port were getting that, which failed. See #32306. I fixed it in r87671 by using a specific known-good version of python: On Tiger: MacPorts python27; on later OS X versions: the system's python. There was no need to add a dependency on a MacPorts python on Leopard or later because on those OS X versions /usr/bin/python is 2.5 through 2.7. Of course if you change /usr/bin/python or other Apple-supplied software, then you should expect things to break.