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Freak avatar Ubuntu

./configure: error: working directory cannot be determined

in flag
Freak

I am extremely frustrated with this error. now it is worth noting that running cd "$(pwd)" and echoing all environment variables, everything seems in order.

I am currently trying to install unrealircd 5.2.0.1 (BUT I get this error when running ANYTHING involving ./configure script)

Here is my output for pretense on my error:

 _   _                      _ ___________  _____     _
| | | |                    | |_   _| ___ \/  __ \   | |
| | | |_ __  _ __ ___  __ _| | | | | |_/ /| /  \/ __| |
| | | | '_ \| '__/ _ \/  _ | | | | |    / | |    /  _ |
| |_| | | | | | |  __/ (_| | |_| |_| |\ \ | \__/\ (_| |
 \___/|_| |_|_|  \___|\__,_|_|\___/\_| \_| \____/\__,_|

                               Configuration Program
                                for UnrealIRCd 5.2.0.1
[SNIP]
Would you like to pass any custom parameters to configure?
Most people don't need this and can just press ENTER.
Otherwise, see `./configure --help' and write them here:
[] ->
Running with 4 concurrent build processes by default (make -j4).
./configure --with-showlistmodes --enable-ssl --with-maxconnections=9999999 --with-bindir=/root/unrealircd/bin --with-datadir=/root/unrealircd/data --with-pidfile=/root/unrealircd/data/unrealircd.pid --with-confdir=/root/unrealircd/conf --with-modulesdir=/root/unrealircd/modules --with-logdir=/root/unrealircd/logs --with-cachedir=/root/unrealircd/cache --with-docdir=/root/unrealircd/doc --with-tmpdir=/root/unrealircd/tmp --with-privatelibdir=/root/unrealircd/lib --with-scriptdir=/root/unrealircd --with-nick-history=100 --with-permissions=0600 --enable-dynamic-linking
configure: error: working directory cannot be determined

now like i said, I get this error when installing ANYTHING involving a ./configure script. it is also worth noting that as any user I am unable to run ./configure, with same said errors.

cating /etc/passwd says proper home directory for said users.

Now what is my problem here?

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2 + 7
cn flag
Ray
Does "when installing ANYTHING involving a ./configure" mean that any `configure` script, not just for the program you mentioned above, causes the above problem? Also, your issue isn't related to `g++`, `gcc`, or `cmake` (as far as I can tell). So, I've removed them from your tags.
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Freak avatar
in flag
Freak
any configure script
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HuHa avatar
es flag
HuHa
Are you running this as root? Don't do that. The final part (`make install`) needs root permissions, and that should be run as `sudo make install`. But certainly **not** the `./configure` part or the `make` part. You are opening the door wide to any attackers.
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HuHa avatar
es flag
HuHa
"any configure script" is a bold claim. I don't believe that. I am pretty sure this is limited to _this_ configure script.
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hr flag
steeldriver
If it really *is* "any configure script" then that suggests a problem with the autoconf `_AC_INIT_DIRCHECK` macro (or one of the commands it relies on - `pwd`, `ls`, `cd`)
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Freak avatar
in flag
Freak
My pwd, ls and cd all are working as expected. and this error is not limited to just _this_ configure script. How can I fix/change my _AC_INIT_DIRCHECK macro? is this an environment variable?
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hr flag
steeldriver
@Freak I have added an answer with some information and debugging tips below
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Score:1
HuHa avatar Ubuntu
es flag
HuHa

The documentation clearly says:

https://www.unrealircd.org/docs/FAQ#Compile.2Fbuild_problems

Compile/build problems

I ran ./configure and got tons of problems

Do NOT use ./configure! Run ./Config instead.

https://www.unrealircd.org/docs/Installing_from_source

Compiling

First, run the ./Config script which will ask a number of questions. You can just press Enter to accept the default answers.

./Config

Now, compile UnrealIRCd by running make, this may take a minute (or two):

make

0 + 1
Freak avatar
in flag
Freak
I was using ./Config, it runs configure as a part of its execution. it only runs ./configure in the end of it. and like i said, this error comes along with executing other scripts that use ./configure.
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Score:0
avatar Ubuntu
hr flag
steeldriver

By convention, configure is a POSIX shell script that is created from a configure.ac or configure.in template file by the GNU autoconf program - either at install time or before distribution by the software's maintainer.

The error message

configure: error: working directory cannot be determined

comes from a standard autoconf macro named _AC_INIT_DIRCHECK and defined in /usr/share/autoconf/autoconf/general.m4:

AC_DEFUN([_AC_INIT_DIRCHECK],
[m4_divert_push([PARSE_ARGS])dnl

ac_pwd=`pwd` && test -n "$ac_pwd" &&
ac_ls_di=`ls -di .` &&
ac_pwd_ls_di=`cd "$ac_pwd" && ls -di .` ||
  AC_MSG_ERROR([working directory cannot be determined])
test "X$ac_ls_di" = "X$ac_pwd_ls_di" ||
  AC_MSG_ERROR([pwd does not report name of working directory])

You may find more detailed information about the cause of the error in the config.log file. Alternatively, you can run the same code in a non-interactive POSIX shell as follows:

/bin/sh -c '
  ac_pwd=`pwd` && test -n "$ac_pwd" && 
  ac_ls_di=`ls -di .` && ac_pwd_ls_di=`cd "$ac_pwd" && ls -di .`
'
echo $?

or broken down into its individual parts like

/bin/sh -c 'ac_pwd=`pwd` && test -n "$ac_pwd"'; echo $?

One possibility for failure is that the working directory does not have the executable bit set:

$ chmod -x .

$ /bin/sh -c '
  ac_pwd=`pwd` && test -n "$ac_pwd" &&
  ac_ls_di=`ls -di .` && ac_pwd_ls_di=`cd "$ac_pwd" && ls -di .`
'
/bin/sh: 1: cd: can't cd to /home/steeldriver/src/unrealircd
0 + 4
Freak avatar
in flag
Freak
when debugging this I get the following error code: 255, any idea what this means? Also this answer has been very helpful in debugging my environment.
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hr flag
steeldriver
@Freak can you break it down and determine which command is returning status code 255? Ex. `/bin/sh -c 'ac_pwd=$(pwd)'; echo $?` then `/bin/sh -c 'ac_pwd=$(pwd) && test -n "$ac_pwd"'; echo $?` etc.
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hr flag
steeldriver
... and just to add, I don't think 255 is a standard program exit status, I can't really guess what might be producing that
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Freak avatar
in flag
Freak
I was just able to edit the configure script for unrealircd and I have fixed my issue.
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