Installing Emacs from source: the command `C-h v` for accessing variables doesn't work

Installing Emacs from source: the command `C-h v` for accessing variables doesn't work

[Itai Berli]

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I have installed the latest development version of Emacs on my Mac from the
source (this is the first time I'm installing Emacs from source), by
cloning the Git repository here:
https://savannah.gnu.org/git/?group=emacs ('Emacs
source repository' under 'Anonymous clone'), and then executing `make` in
the repo's top directory.

It didn't go smoothly, but only because I didn't have some prerequisites
installed (namely, `Autoconf` and `gnutls`, and the OS X command-line
tools). Once I'd installed the prerequisites (`Autoconf` and `gnutls` with
`Homebrew`, and the OS X command-line tools by running `xcode-select
--install`), the `make` script completed successfully.

However, when I open the Emacs GUI (<installation
directory>/nextstep/Emacs), there's no splash screen, and instead of the
usual *GNU Emacs* buffer, the *scratch* buffer opens initially.

More importantly, when I try to inspect variables by executing `C-h v`, the
following error message appears in the echo buffer: 'Cannot open load file:
No such file or directory, help-fns'.

Why doesn't the `C-h v` command work, and how can I view and set a
variable's value as well as inspect the info about a variable?

---

I run macOS Sierra version 10.12.5 (the latest release as of today).

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Re: Installing Emacs from source: the command `C-h v` for accessing variables doesn't work

[Stefan Monnier]

> More importantly, when I try to inspect variables by executing `C-h v`, the
> following error message appears in the echo buffer: 'Cannot open load file:
> No such file or directory, help-fns'.

I'm sure someone else will give you a more definitive answer, but IIRC,
the macOS build needs to be installed before it works right.
I.e. you need "make install".


        Stefan

Re: Installing Emacs from source: the command `C-h v` for accessing variables doesn't work

[Stefan Monnier]

> I'm sure someone else will give you a more definitive answer, but IIRC,
> the macOS build needs to be installed before it works right.
> I.e. you need "make install".

Ha, found it: look at the nextstep/INSTALL file


        Stefan

Re: Installing Emacs from source: the command `C-h v` for accessing variables doesn't work

[Jean-Christophe Helary]

> On Jul 18, 2017, at 22:43, Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca> wrote:
> 
>> I'm sure someone else will give you a more definitive answer, but IIRC,
>> the macOS build needs to be installed before it works right.
>> I.e. you need "make install".
> 
> Ha, found it: look at the nextstep/INSTALL file

Indeed. I just tried with just "make" and I got what Ital described, so it is not connected to the environment variable issue that I mentioned...

Jean-Christophe 

Re: Installing Emacs from source: the command `C-h v` for accessing variables doesn't work

[Noam Postavsky]

On Tue, Jul 18, 2017 at 10:09 AM, Jean-Christophe Helary
<jean.christophe.helary@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> On Jul 18, 2017, at 22:43, Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca> wrote:
>>
>>> I'm sure someone else will give you a more definitive answer, but IIRC,
>>> the macOS build needs to be installed before it works right.
>>> I.e. you need "make install".
>>
>> Ha, found it: look at the nextstep/INSTALL file
>
> Indeed. I just tried with just "make" and I got what Ital described, so it is not connected to the environment variable issue that I mentioned...

I believe #27645 proposes to remove this quirk.
https://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug=27645

Re: Installing Emacs from source: the command `C-h v` for accessing variables doesn't work

[Itai Berli]

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Yeah, Steven. That was the problem. Thank you!

On Tue, Jul 18, 2017 at 6:17 PM, Noam Postavsky <
npostavs@users.sourceforge.net> wrote:

> On Tue, Jul 18, 2017 at 10:09 AM, Jean-Christophe Helary
> <jean.christophe.helary@gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >> On Jul 18, 2017, at 22:43, Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca>
> wrote:
> >>
> >>> I'm sure someone else will give you a more definitive answer, but IIRC,
> >>> the macOS build needs to be installed before it works right.
> >>> I.e. you need "make install".
> >>
> >> Ha, found it: look at the nextstep/INSTALL file
> >
> > Indeed. I just tried with just "make" and I got what Ital described, so
> it is not connected to the environment variable issue that I mentioned...
>
> I believe #27645 proposes to remove this quirk.
> https://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug=27645
>
>

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Re: Installing Emacs from source: the command `C-h v` for accessing variables doesn't work

[Itai Berli]

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I meant Stefan... Sorry.

On Tue, Jul 18, 2017 at 6:26 PM, Itai Berli <itai.berli@gmail.com> wrote:

> Yeah, Steven. That was the problem. Thank you!
>
> On Tue, Jul 18, 2017 at 6:17 PM, Noam Postavsky <
> npostavs@users.sourceforge.net> wrote:
>
>> On Tue, Jul 18, 2017 at 10:09 AM, Jean-Christophe Helary
>> <jean.christophe.helary@gmail.com> wrote:
>> >
>> >> On Jul 18, 2017, at 22:43, Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca>
>> wrote:
>> >>
>> >>> I'm sure someone else will give you a more definitive answer, but
>> IIRC,
>> >>> the macOS build needs to be installed before it works right.
>> >>> I.e. you need "make install".
>> >>
>> >> Ha, found it: look at the nextstep/INSTALL file
>> >
>> > Indeed. I just tried with just "make" and I got what Ital described, so
>> it is not connected to the environment variable issue that I mentioned...
>>
>> I believe #27645 proposes to remove this quirk.
>> https://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug=27645
>>
>>
>

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Re: Installing Emacs from source: the command `C-h v` for accessing variables doesn't work

[Charles A. Roelli]

>> Indeed. I just tried with just "make" and I got what Ital described, so it is not connected to the environment variable issue that I mentioned...
>
> I believe #27645 proposes to remove this quirk.
> https://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug=27645

It's a fix for a related issue; the point of the patch in that bug
report is to be able to run GUI Emacs from src/emacs, not from an
incomplete application bundle in nextstep/Emacs.app.  Thankfully,
Emacs already has code (I think) to set 'load-path' and the like
specially when we run from 'src/emacs', so the only modification I
needed to make to the NS-specific code was to let the OS allow the
Emacs frame to have focus.  This change should prevent people
developing on NS from having to run 'make install' all the time to get
a working GUI build, since 'src/emacs -q' will work.

Re: Installing Emacs from source: the command `C-h v` for accessing variables doesn't work

[Charles A. Roelli]

I've pushed the fix for this.  Running 'src/emacs -q' after 'make'
should now result in a usable GUI Emacs under macOS.


On 18/07/2017 22:31, Charles A. Roelli wrote:
>>> Indeed. I just tried with just "make" and I got what Ital described, 
>>> so it is not connected to the environment variable issue that I 
>>> mentioned...
>>
>> I believe #27645 proposes to remove this quirk.
>> https://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug=27645
>
> It's a fix for a related issue; the point of the patch in that bug
> report is to be able to run GUI Emacs from src/emacs, not from an
> incomplete application bundle in nextstep/Emacs.app.  Thankfully,
> Emacs already has code (I think) to set 'load-path' and the like
> specially when we run from 'src/emacs', so the only modification I
> needed to make to the NS-specific code was to let the OS allow the
> Emacs frame to have focus.  This change should prevent people
> developing on NS from having to run 'make install' all the time to get
> a working GUI build, since 'src/emacs -q' will work.
>
>

Re: Installing Emacs from source: the command `C-h v` for accessing variables doesn't work

[Jean-Christophe Helary]

> On Jul 18, 2017, at 16:40, Itai Berli <itai.berli@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> More importantly, when I try to inspect variables by executing `C-h v`, the following error message appears in the echo buffer: 'Cannot open load file: No such file or directory, help-fns'.

You may want to check if you have the same issue when you start it from the command line (emacs/nextstep/Emacs.app/Contents/MacOS/Emacs).

If the issue is fixed when starting from CL it is similar to an issue I had recently when launching Emacs.app directly vs launching if from the command line:
http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/help-gnu-emacs/2017-07/msg00143.html

When launching from the command line you get the shell's environment variables (including the PATH to your various commands), *NOT* when you launch Emacs.app directly.

Basically, when I run Emacs.app, I either create an alias to emacs/nextstep/Emacs.app/Contents/MacOS/Emacs and launch it directly from the command line, or I use an Applescript "launcher" (that calls that same Emacs) that I call from Spotlight.

I can send you the applescript if you want.

Jean-Christophe