Bug cross-compiling bash (with buildroot): mkbuiltins uses config.h

[kus Kusche Klaus]

I've hit the following bug when cross-building bash with buildroot:

Compiling mkbuiltins fails because "inttypes.h" is not found.

It turns out that:
* The target system has an "inttypes.h" header file. It is found by
configure, and hence "config.h" sets "HAVE_INTTYPES_H".
* "mkbuiltins" is compiled with "-DHAVE_CONFIG_H" (but with the host
compiler, which only sees the host include directories, but not the
target include directories). It uses the "config.h" generated w.r.t. the
target, sees "HAVE_INTTYPES_H", and hence tries to include "inttypes.h".
* The host system does not have any "inttypes.h" header file, and hence
the compilation fails...

However, the "inttypes.h" error is only one consequence of a serious
fundamental problem: "mkbuiltins" should not use "config.h" at all! Host
and target system differ dramatically, many of the definitions in
"config.h" (generated w.r.t. the target system) are most likely wrong
for the host system!

Bash version is 3.0 (with the patches applied by buildroot).
The host system is Windows/Interix, but with a complete GNU toolchain
(gcc, make, bash, ...) instead of the Interix programs.
However, the host system's C library and headers are still those from
Interix, not glibc.
The target system is an embedded system with uclibc library and headers.

I also tried on a gentoo host system. There, the make does not fail
(because inttypes.h exists on both the host and the target), but still,
mkbuiltins is most likely compiled with the wrong config.h.

How to work around the problem?

Many thanks in advance for any hints!

Klaus Kusche
Entwicklung Software - Steuerung
Software Development - Control

KEBA AG
A-4041 Linz
Gewerbepark Urfahr
Tel +43 / 732 / 7090-3120
Fax +43 / 732 / 7090-8919
E-Mail: kus@keba.com
www.keba.com