Hi David,

Thanks for this.


On 03/01/17 03:38, David Craven wrote:
> * gnu/packages/ocaml.scm (ocaml-findlib)[arguments]: Move
>    ocaml-findlib-make-install.patch to phase and set ldconf="ignore" in
>    findlib.conf.in.
> * gnu/local.mk (dist_patch_DATA): Remove old patch.
The deletion of the patch file itself should also be documented.

[...]
> -       #:phases (modify-phases %standard-phases
> -                  (replace
> -                   'configure
> -                   (lambda* (#:key inputs outputs #:allow-other-keys)
> -                     (let ((out (assoc-ref outputs "out")))
> -                       (system*
> -                        "./configure"
> +       #:phases
> +       (modify-phases %standard-phases
> +         (add-after 'unpack 'patch-findlib.conf.in
> +           (lambda _
> +             (let ((port (open-file "findlib.conf.in" "w" #:encoding "utf-8")))
> +               (format port "ldconf=\"ignore\"~%")
> +               (close-port port))
> +             #t))
> +         (add-after 'unpack 'patch-findlib-make-install
> +           (lambda _
> +             (substitute* "src/findlib/Makefile"
> +               (("^.*topfind.*OCAML_CORE_STDLIB.*$")
> +                 "\ttest $(INSTALL_TOPFIND) -eq 0 || cp topfind \"$(prefix)$(OCAML_SITELIB)\"\n"))
> +             #t))
> +         (replace 'configure
> +           (lambda* (#:key inputs outputs #:allow-other-keys)
> +             (let ((out (assoc-ref outputs "out")))
> +               (system* "./configure"
>                           "-bindir" (string-append out "/bin")
>                           "-config" (string-append out "/etc/ocamfind.conf")
>                           "-mandir" (string-append out "/share/man")
>                           "-sitelib" (string-append out "/lib/ocaml/site-lib")
>                           "-with-toolbox")))))))

I had some trouble building downstream packages such as 'laby' after 
this patch. Do you see the same?

> +    (native-search-paths
> +     (list (search-path-specification
> +            (variable "OCAMLPATH")
> +            (files (list (string-append "lib/ocaml/site-lib"))))))

This is unnecessary since this is already specified in the ocaml package 
definition, right?

[...]

On a somewhat related note, I've been getting around ocaml-findlib 
issues by adding this phase to downstream packages. WDYT?

          (add-before 'install 'setup-install
            (lambda* (#:key outputs #:allow-other-keys)
              (let* ((out (assoc-ref outputs "out"))
                     (destdir (string-append out "/lib/ocaml")))
                (mkdir-p destdir)
                (setenv "OCAMLFIND_DESTDIR" destdir)
                (setenv "OCAMLFIND_LDCONF" (string-append destdir 
"/ld.conf"))
                #t))))))

I've been preparing a few ocaml packages, and it is getting to the point 
that it might be worth adding an ocaml-build-system, much like 
gnu-build-system except perhaps with a few tweaks such as the above 
(preliminary patch not adding anything ocaml/findlib-specific attached). 
OTOH, I'm quite cautious about my knowledge of the OCaml ecosystem, so 
I'm keen to hear others' opinions.

Thanks, ben.