launching a python program from GNU make (Win2K)

[Ben Hutchings]

hat at se-46.wpa.wtb.tue.nl (Albert Hofkamp) writes:

> On Wed, 13 Dec 2000 20:22:02 GMT, jschmitt at vmlabs.com <jschmitt at vmlabs.com> wrote:
> >From my experience, GNU make has the most features that I want to use.
> >However, I find it so hard to use under Windows.  For example, I wrote
> 
> No kidding :-)
> 
> >a small python program that I can launch from the command line and
> >execute without problems.  I can't seem to launch it from GNU make.  I

It might be easier to diagnose the problem if you would post the rule
and any relevant variable definitions from the Makefile.

> We had the same kind of problems, ever since we switched from Novell
> to NT servers.
> Until the arrival of the latter servers, we had a number of command-line
> utils that worked fine within the limits of 'fine' as we know it on W*.
> 
> When the Novell server was replaced by an NT server, long filenames
> suddenly stopped working, both on the network and locally.
> Also, it appeared that 1 command-line program (e.g. GNU-make), could not
> start another program (e.g. a compiler), without giving an error of any
> kind.

Which version of GNU make?  The Cygwin version works as expected here,
as long as it's set to Unix mode (set MAKE_MODE=unix).  I never tried
to work out how the native mode is supposed to work; Makefiles for
typical Unix software don't work at all in native mode.

> The core of the problem was tracked to the NT server that does not handle
> long filenames (even in the 21st century), although they are listed.

I think some other tool is at fault.  If you use the command
interpreter to run any DOS or Win16 programs, it switches into a
compatibility mode where it displays short names to avoid breaking
those programs.  I don't think it's possible to switch back later.

> I don't know about W2K, but given the fact that it is an NT-based version,
> I would not be surprised to see that the situation did not improve.
> In fact, I consider command-line oriented programs DEAD on W* systems.

Meanwhile, I'm writing and running command-line programs on Windows
2000 in C, C++, Python and Perl.

> >What could the reason be and how could I fix it?  Does it have
> 
> I think the reason is W2K. The only fix I know is complain to B.G.

I think you're falling into Microsoft-bashing mode.

> If that would fail for some reason, there are only 2 options left imho.
> 1) Switch to visual programming (aka do it the MS way),
> 2) Drop the platform.
> 
> FYI: We did the 2nd option.
> 
> >something to do with GNU make going out of it's way to launch sh.exe if
> >it's on your hard drive, rather than launching command.exe to shell out

Setting the SHELL to point to cmd.exe might fix this.

> Nope, it is simply not possible to launch a command-line program from
> another command-line program.

On what evidence do you base this assertion?

-- 
Any opinions expressed are my own and not necessarily those of Roundpoint.