# ./configure doesn't like CFLAGS='-ggdb' **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [March 28, 2006, 1:14am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/configure-doesnt-like-cflags-ggdb/56083 "2006-03-28T01:14:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![daveh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/85e7bf/32.png) [@daveh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/daveh)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2006, 1:14am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/configure-doesnt-like-cflags-ggdb/56083/1 "2006-03-28T01:14:29Z")
My RubyCocoa app has started exploding with “BUS ERROR,” or perhaps more precisely, Program received signal: “EXC\_BAD\_ACCESS”. Asking the debugger to help told me that it was caused as a result of something going wrong with an Event running down the chain and then something bad happening, but that was about all I could figure out. I’m not even sure what kind of event it was. I found the following info on how to make Ruby and RubyCocoa more “debuggable” at [http://www.rubycocoa.com/an-introduction-to-rubycocoa/6:](http://www.rubycocoa.com/an-introduction-to-rubycocoa/6:) ``` First, build a debuggable version of Ruby. In your ruby source directory, run the following commands from the bash shell: $ CFLAGS='-g -ggdb -fno-common' ./configure $ make $ sudo make install ``` Except that configure is very unhappy about that “-ggdb” flag. ☹ “checking for C compiler default output file name… configure: error: C compiler cannot create executables” I also tried the form that the ./configure --help output suggested: ./configure CFLAGS=‘-g -ggdb -fno-common’ It continues past that spot without a problem if I leave out the “-ggdb” part. From config.log: ``` configure:2000: checking for C compiler default output file name configure:2003: gcc -g -ggdb -fno-common conftest.c >&5 /var/tmp//cc0knt2z.s:1:Expected comma after segment-name /var/tmp//cc0knt2z.s:1:Rest of line ignored. 1st junk character valued ``` 76 (L). /var/tmp//cc0knt2z.s:2:Expected comma after segment-name /var/tmp//cc0knt2z.s:2:Rest of line ignored. 1st junk character valued 76 (L). /var/tmp//cc0knt2z.s:3:Expected comma after segment-name /var/tmp//cc0knt2z.s:3:Rest of line ignored. 1st junk character valued 76 (L). /var/tmp//cc0knt2z.s:25:Expected comma after segment-name /var/tmp//cc0knt2z.s:25:Rest of line ignored. 1st junk character valued 95 (\_). /var/tmp//cc0knt2z.s:69:Expected comma after segment-name /var/tmp//cc0knt2z.s:69:Rest of line ignored. 1st junk character valued 32 ( ). /var/tmp//cc0knt2z.s:120:Expected comma after segment-name /var/tmp//cc0knt2z.s:120:Rest of line ignored. 1st junk character valued 32 ( ). /var/tmp//cc0knt2z.s:147:Expected comma after segment-name /var/tmp//cc0knt2z.s:147:Rest of line ignored. 1st junk character valued 32 ( ). /var/tmp//cc0knt2z.s:199:Expected comma after segment-name /var/tmp//cc0knt2z.s:199:Rest of line ignored. 1st junk character valued 32 ( ). /var/tmp//cc0knt2z.s:206:Expected comma after segment-name /var/tmp//cc0knt2z.s:206:Rest of line ignored. 1st junk character valued 32 ( ). configure:2006: $? = 1 configure: failed program was: | /\* confdefs.h. _/ | | #define PACKAGE\_NAME “” | #define PACKAGE\_TARNAME “” | #define PACKAGE\_VERSION “” | #define PACKAGE\_STRING “” | #define PACKAGE\_BUGREPORT “” | /_ end confdefs.h. \*/ | | int | main () | { | | ; | return 0; | } configure:2045: error: C compiler cannot create executables See `config.log’ for more details. Can anybody fill me in on what I need to do differently to compile Ruby with the “-ggdb” flag? ---
**Author:** ![daveh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/85e7bf/32.png) [@daveh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/daveh)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2006, 11:15pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/configure-doesnt-like-cflags-ggdb/56083/2 "2006-03-29T23:15:16Z")
On Mar 27, 2006, at 15:13, Dave H. wrote: > Can anybody fill me in on what I need to do differently to compile > Ruby with the “-ggdb” flag? Is this a harder question than I thought, or maybe I asked this in the wrong place? ---
**Author:** ![daveh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/85e7bf/32.png) [@daveh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/daveh)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 5:57am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/configure-doesnt-like-cflags-ggdb/56083/3 "2006-03-30T05:57:43Z")
On 3/29/06, Dave H. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > I’ve just compiled the Ruby last cvs version with -ggdb and “make test” succeeded. ---
**Author:** ![daveh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/85e7bf/32.png) [@daveh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/daveh)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 3:53am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/configure-doesnt-like-cflags-ggdb/56083/4 "2006-04-01T03:53:43Z")
On Mar 29, 2006, at 19:56, Nicolas Desprès wrote: > > > > I’ve just compiled the Ruby last cvs version with -ggdb and “make > test” succeeded. I’m not getting that far. “configure” won’t let me try to actually compile, because it declares that the compiler isn’t working right when I add that flag. Maybe it’s something that “got fixed” in the current version . . . . ---
**Author:** ![daveh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/85e7bf/32.png) [@daveh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/daveh)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 5:48pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/configure-doesnt-like-cflags-ggdb/56083/5 "2006-04-01T17:48:17Z")
On 4/1/06, Dave H. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > > > Is this a harder question than I thought, or maybe I asked this in the > > > I add that flag. > > Maybe it’s something that “got fixed” in the current version . . . . I too can build both the latest CVS version and the 1.8.4 release with -ggdb. But I’m on a x86 Debian GNU/Linux machine, while I guess you’re on a Mac (and probably a PowerPC) since you’re using RubyCocoa. Perhaps the installed version of gcc or as or some other surrounding tools are broken with the -ggdb flag? You could try upgrading gcc (I successfully built ruby with gcc 4.0.3) to see if that helps. But before you go to all that trouble, just try running configure without -ggdb and instead hand-edit Makefile after this step, changing the line which contains CFLAGS= to include -ggdb, and then continue building ruby (but you will probably get the same error in the next step instead…) ---
**Author:** ![daveh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/85e7bf/32.png) [@daveh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/daveh)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2006, 1:52am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/configure-doesnt-like-cflags-ggdb/56083/6 "2006-04-02T01:52:45Z")
On Apr 1, 2006, at 7:45, Olof Sivertsson wrote: > continue building ruby (but you will probably get the same error in > the next step instead…) You are correct on all counts. I found the line you described with no problem, changed it, and started getting error messages immediately. I also took another close look at the man pages for “gcc” which warned me that OSX gcc had some bonus Apple commands but is also missing some things, and that under OSX it’s actually a link to gcc-3.3. Except it’s not. Last time I tried to compile Ruby, I couldn’t get it to run until I replaced the “/user/bin/gcc” link with a simple copy of the “gcc3” file in my /user/bin directory. So I went back to the make file, and changed the CC= to be CC=gcc-3.3 And hocus-pocus-in-focus, the makefile is now merrily pouring page after page of utterly mystifying yet somehow reassuring text across my screen. Thanks!