[webkit-help] First time trying to compile WebKit on Ubuntu -- not going well

[Patrick Chkoreff]

Hello everyone.  I've spent many hours over the last couple of days
trying to compile WebKit from source on my Ubuntu machine, which looks
like this:

$ uname -a
Linux laptop 3.2.0-59-generic #90-Ubuntu SMP Tue Jan 7 22:43:51 UTC 2014
x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux


I acquired the WebKit source code this way:

$ cd ~/install
$ svn checkout http://svn.webkit.org/repository/webkit/trunk WebKit


Here's how I tried to do the build:

###[
$ cd WebKit
$ Tools/Scripts/build-webkit --gtk

Calling autogen.sh in /home/patrick/install/WebKit/WebKitBuild/Release

autoreconf: Entering directory `.'
autoreconf: configure.ac: not using Gettext
autoreconf: running: aclocal -I Source/autotools
autoreconf: configure.ac: tracing
autoreconf: configure.ac: not using Libtool
autoreconf: running: /usr/local/bin/autoconf --include=Source/autotools
configure:5340: error: possibly undefined macro: AC_DISABLE_STATIC
      If this token and others are legitimate, please use m4_pattern_allow.
      See the Autoconf documentation.
configure:5341: error: possibly undefined macro: AC_LIBTOOL_WIN32_DLL
configure:5342: error: possibly undefined macro: AC_PROG_LIBTOOL
configure:6469: error: possibly undefined macro: AC_CHECK_LIB
configure:6470: error: possibly undefined macro: AC_MSG_ERROR
configure:6593: error: possibly undefined macro: AC_MSG_WARN
autoreconf: /usr/local/bin/autoconf failed with exit status: 1
Calling autogen.sh failed!
###]


Now, I have to tell you, I have tried a LOT of things over the last
couple of days, using duckduckgo.com as my friend.  There's a lot of
folklore out there.

For example, I have heard that I should run "aclocal" before trying the
build.  So here goes:

###[
$ aclocal
$ Tools/Scripts/build-webkit --gtk
Calling autogen.sh in /home/patrick/install/WebKit/WebKitBuild/Release

autoreconf: Entering directory `.'
autoreconf: configure.ac: not using Gettext
autoreconf: running: aclocal -I Source/autotools
autoreconf: configure.ac: tracing
autoreconf: configure.ac: not using Libtool
autoreconf: running: /usr/local/bin/autoconf --include=Source/autotools
autoreconf: running: /usr/local/bin/autoheader --include=Source/autotools
autoreconf: running: automake --add-missing --copy --no-force
Source/autotools/CheckSystemAndBasicDependencies.m4:81: installing
'Source/autotools/compile'
Source/autotools/CheckSystemAndBasicDependencies.m4:1: installing
'Source/autotools/config.guess'
Source/autotools/CheckSystemAndBasicDependencies.m4:1: installing
'Source/autotools/config.sub'
Source/autotools/CheckSystemAndBasicDependencies.m4:83: installing
'Source/autotools/install-sh'
configure.ac:35: installing 'Source/autotools/missing'
Source/WebKit2/GNUmakefile.am:650: error: Libtool library used but
'LIBTOOL' is undefined
Source/WebKit2/GNUmakefile.am:650:   The usual way to define 'LIBTOOL'
is to add 'LT_INIT'
Source/WebKit2/GNUmakefile.am:650:   to 'configure.ac' and run 'aclocal'
and 'autoconf' again.
Source/WebKit2/GNUmakefile.am:650:   If 'LT_INIT' is in 'configure.ac',
make sure
Source/WebKit2/GNUmakefile.am:650:   its definition is in aclocal's
search path.
GNUmakefile.am:220:   'Source/WebKit2/GNUmakefile.am' included from here
GNUmakefile.am: installing 'Source/autotools/depcomp'
autoreconf: automake failed with exit status: 1
Calling autogen.sh failed!
###]



Now that's some visible progress.  So I'm thinking yes, by all means run
aclocal first.  (Forgive me for sounding like a cargo cult guy here, but
I really don't understand this stuff yet.)

So what's the next error here?  The error message suggests that I should
add LT_INIT to configure.ac.  OK, here goes.

###[
$ vi configure.ac
... insert LT_INIT as the second line, just below the "AC_PREREQ(2.60)" ...
$ Tools/Scripts/build-webkit --gtk
Calling autogen.sh in /home/patrick/install/WebKit/WebKitBuild/Release

autoreconf: Entering directory `.'
autoreconf: configure.ac: not using Gettext
autoreconf: running: aclocal -I Source/autotools
autoreconf: configure.ac: tracing
autoreconf: configure.ac: not using Libtool
autoreconf: running: /usr/local/bin/autoconf --include=Source/autotools
configure:5340: error: possibly undefined macro: AC_DISABLE_STATIC
      If this token and others are legitimate, please use m4_pattern_allow.
      See the Autoconf documentation.
configure:5341: error: possibly undefined macro: AC_LIBTOOL_WIN32_DLL
configure:5342: error: possibly undefined macro: AC_PROG_LIBTOOL
configure:6469: error: possibly undefined macro: AC_CHECK_LIB
configure:6470: error: possibly undefined macro: AC_MSG_ERROR
configure:6593: error: possibly undefined macro: AC_MSG_WARN
autoreconf: /usr/local/bin/autoconf failed with exit status: 1
Calling autogen.sh failed!
###]


Great, something did change, however, we're right back to the original
error message.


OK, I've included enough here in this email to suggest the sort of bind
I'm in.  Believe me, I've done a *lot* more experimentation with this
than I'm suggesting here.  I've instrumented the Perl in webkitdirs.pm,
installed autoconf 2.69 from source, researched the m4_pattern_allow
thing in vain, etc.

This morning I realized that I was failing very badly, and I really
needed to join the webkit list and talk with some people who know what
they're doing!


Thanks in advance,
Patrick