xorg-libXt @1.1.5: autom4te: need GNU m4 1.4 or later: /usr/bin/m4

[sau1978]

I am having difficult installing Grace 5.1.25. I have cleaned up the ports several times and tried to install xorg-libXt with +flat_namespace as suggested in the log below - yet, the install failed to configure xorg-libXt with autoreconf.

See below:

sudo port install grace@5.1.25_1
--->  Computing dependencies for grace
The following dependencies will be installed: 
 openmotif
 pdflib
 xpm
Continue? [Y/n]: Y
--->  Fetching archive for openmotif
Error: Failed to archivefetch openmotif: xorg-libXt must be installed with +flat_namespace.
Error: See /opt/local/var/macports/logs/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_macports_release_tarballs_ports_x11_openmotif/openmotif/main.log for details.
Error: Follow https://guide.macports.org/#project.tickets to report a bug.
Error: Processing of port grace failed

sudo port -v install xorg-libXt +flat_namespace
--->  Computing dependencies for xorg-libXt.
--->  Fetching archive for xorg-libXt
--->  xorg-libXt-1.1.5_1+flat_namespace.darwin_16.x86_64.tbz2 doesn't seem to exist in /opt/local/var/macports/incoming/verified
--->  Attempting to fetch xorg-libXt-1.1.5_1+flat_namespace.darwin_16.x86_64.tbz2 from https://packages.macports.org/xorg-libXt
  % Total    % Received % Xferd  Average Speed   Time    Time     Time  Current
                                 Dload  Upload   Total   Spent    Left  Speed
  0     0    0     0    0     0      0      0 --:--:-- --:--:-- --:--:--     0
--->  Attempting to fetch xorg-libXt-1.1.5_1+flat_namespace.darwin_16.x86_64.tbz2 from http://lil.fr.packages.macports.org/xorg-libXt
  % Total    % Received % Xferd  Average Speed   Time    Time     Time  Current
                                 Dload  Upload   Total   Spent    Left  Speed
  0     0    0     0    0     0      0      0 --:--:-- --:--:-- --:--:--     0
--->  Attempting to fetch xorg-libXt-1.1.5_1+flat_namespace.darwin_16.x86_64.tbz2 from http://mse.uk.packages.macports.org/sites/packages.macports.org/xorg-libXt
  % Total    % Received % Xferd  Average Speed   Time    Time     Time  Current
                                 Dload  Upload   Total   Spent    Left  Speed
100   307  100   307    0     0    233      0  0:00:01  0:00:01 --:--:--   233
  0     0    0     0    0     0      0      0 --:--:--  0:00:01 --:--:--     0
--->  Fetching distfiles for xorg-libXt
--->  libXt-1.1.5.tar.bz2 does not exist in /opt/local/var/macports/distfiles/xorg-libXt
--->  Attempting to fetch libXt-1.1.5.tar.bz2 from https://distfiles.macports.org/xorg-libXt
  % Total    % Received % Xferd  Average Speed   Time    Time     Time  Current
                                 Dload  Upload   Total   Spent    Left  Speed
100  753k  100  753k    0     0   323k      0  0:00:02  0:00:02 --:--:--  323k
--->  Verifying checksums for xorg-libXt
--->  Checksumming libXt-1.1.5.tar.bz2
--->  Extracting xorg-libXt
--->  Extracting libXt-1.1.5.tar.bz2
Executing:  cd "/opt/local/var/macports/build/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_macports_release_tarballs_ports_x11_xorg-libXt/xorg-libXt/work" && /usr/bin/bzip2 -dc '/opt/local/var/macports/distfiles/xorg-libXt/libXt-1.1.5.tar.bz2' | /usr/bin/tar -xf - 
--->  Applying patches to xorg-libXt
--->  Applying no-flat.patch
Executing:  cd "/opt/local/var/macports/build/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_macports_release_tarballs_ports_x11_xorg-libXt/xorg-libXt/work/libXt-1.1.5" && /usr/bin/patch -p0 < '/opt/local/var/macports/sources/rsync.macports.org/macports/release/tarballs/ports/x11/xorg-libXt/files/no-flat.patch'
patching file configure.ac
Hunk #1 succeeded at 170 (offset 6 lines).
--->  Configuring xorg-libXt
Executing:  cd "/opt/local/var/macports/build/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_macports_release_tarballs_ports_x11_xorg-libXt/xorg-libXt/work/libXt-1.1.5" && autoreconf -fvi 
autoreconf: Entering directory `.'
autoreconf: configure.ac: not using Gettext
autoreconf: running: /opt/local/bin/aclocal --force -I m4
autom4te: need GNU m4 1.4 or later: /usr/bin/m4
aclocal: error: echo failed with exit status: 1
autoreconf: /opt/local/bin/aclocal failed with exit status: 1
Command failed:  cd "/opt/local/var/macports/build/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_macports_release_tarballs_ports_x11_xorg-libXt/xorg-libXt/work/libXt-1.1.5" && autoreconf -fvi 
Exit code: 1
Error: Failed to configure xorg-libXt: autoreconf failure: command execution failed
Error: See /opt/local/var/macports/logs/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_macports_release_tarballs_ports_x11_xorg-libXt/xorg-libXt/main.log for details.
Error: Follow https://guide.macports.org/#project.tickets to report a bug.
Error: Processing of port xorg-libXt failed

[kencu (Ken)]

hmm...looks initially like your version of m4 is too old:

running: /opt/local/bin/aclocal --force -I m4 autom4te: need GNU m4 1.4 or later: /usr/bin/m4 
aclocal: error: echo failed with exit status: 1

but not sure how that can be; on this 2006 snow leopard machine, and on my Sierra machine, m4 shows this

$ /usr/bin/m4 --version
GNU M4 1.4.6
Copyright (C) 2006 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.  There is NO
warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

just out of curiosity, what does

which m4

and

/usr/bin/m4 --version

show on your machine?

[sau1978]

It shows the following:

$ which m4
/usr/bin/m4

$ /usr/bin/m4 --version
GNU M4 1.4.6
Copyright (C) 2006 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.  There is NO
warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

[kencu (Ken)]

yeah - that's the same as what I have.

I just tried rebuilding it (I have it installed already) and it builds and destroots fine on both Snow Leopard and on Sierra, both with +flat_namespace and without. Here's the part of my log that succeeds where yours fails:

Executing:  cd "/opt/local/var/macports/build/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_release_tarballs_ports_x11_xorg-libXt/xorg-libXt/work" && /usr/bin/bzip2 -dc '/opt/local/var/macports/distfiles/xorg-libXt/libXt-1.1.5.tar.bz2' | /usr/bin/gnutar --no-same-owner -xf - 
--->  Applying patches to xorg-libXt
--->  Applying no-flat.patch
Executing:  cd "/opt/local/var/macports/build/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_release_tarballs_ports_x11_xorg-libXt/xorg-libXt/work/libXt-1.1.5" && /usr/bin/patch -p0 < '/opt/local/var/macports/sources/rsync.macports.org/release/tarballs/ports/x11/xorg-libXt/files/no-flat.patch'
patching file configure.ac
Hunk #1 succeeded at 170 (offset 6 lines).
--->  Configuring xorg-libXt
Executing:  cd "/opt/local/var/macports/build/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_release_tarballs_ports_x11_xorg-libXt/xorg-libXt/work/libXt-1.1.5" && autoreconf -fvi 
autoreconf: Entering directory `.'
autoreconf: configure.ac: not using Gettext
autoreconf: running: /opt/local/bin/aclocal --force -I m4
autoreconf: configure.ac: tracing
autoreconf: running: /opt/local/bin/glibtoolize --copy --force
glibtoolize: putting auxiliary files in '.'.
glibtoolize: copying file './ltmain.sh'
glibtoolize: putting macros in AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIRS, 'm4'.
glibtoolize: copying file 'm4/libtool.m4'
glibtoolize: copying file 'm4/ltoptions.m4'
glibtoolize: copying file 'm4/ltsugar.m4'
glibtoolize: copying file 'm4/ltversion.m4'
glibtoolize: copying file 'm4/lt~obsolete.m4'

So - best I can suggest at this moment would be to have you again clean sudo port clean xorg-libXt and try your installation once more. Not very satisfying, if you've already done that, I know, but easy enough to try.

[kencu (Ken)]

I should say FYI I did install grace, but it crashes with this error on use (this is a different problem than yours):

$ xmgrace
Warning: Widget must be a VendorShell.
Warning: Fatal Error: 
_XmGetDefaultDisplay cannot be used prior to VendorS.Initialize, returns NULL

Oops! Got SIGSYS

Please use "Help/Comments" to report the bug.
Abort trap

which turns out to be a known issue:

45582 and is fixed by reinstalling grace with +universal, after which xmgrace works fine.

so perhaps try that sudo port -v install grace +universal

K