hi,

I am trying to build git annex on lenny.

I checked out the latest from git c88d4939453845efee04da811d64aa41046f9c11, installed all the packages (some from backports) as required by dpkg-buildpackage

Then I get this:

...
mkdir -p build
ghc -odir build -hidir build --make git-annex
[ 1 of 19] Compiling Utility          ( Utility.hs, build/Utility.o )
[ 2 of 19] Compiling GitRepo          ( GitRepo.hs, build/GitRepo.o )
[ 3 of 19] Compiling GitQueue         ( GitQueue.hs, build/GitQueue.o )
[ 4 of 19] Compiling TypeInternals    ( TypeInternals.hs, build/TypeInternals.o )
[ 5 of 19] Compiling Types            ( Types.hs, build/Types.o )
[ 6 of 19] Compiling Annex            ( Annex.hs, build/Annex.o )
[ 7 of 19] Compiling Locations        ( Locations.hs, build/Locations.o )
[ 8 of 19] Compiling UUID             ( UUID.hs, build/UUID.o )
[ 9 of 19] Compiling LocationLog      ( LocationLog.hs, build/LocationLog.o )
[10 of 19] Compiling Core             ( Core.hs, build/Core.o )
[11 of 19] Compiling Backend.URL      ( Backend/URL.hs, build/Backend/URL.o )
[12 of 19] Compiling Backend          ( Backend.hs, build/Backend.o )

Backend.hs:114:50:
    Not in scope: type constructor or class `SomeException'
make[1]: *** [git-annex] Error 1
make[1]: Leaving directory `/home/cstamas/tmp/git-annex'
dh_auto_build: make -j1 returned exit code 2
make: *** [build] Error 2
dpkg-buildpackage: failure: debian/rules build gave error exit status 2

I will try to check the mentioned file for error, but I do not know how to program in haskell.

Thanks for your help! --cstamas

Newer versions of ghc changed their exception handling types, and I coded git-annex to use the new style and not the old. gch6 6.12 will work. I do not think there is a backport available though. --Joey

Ok, found and deployed a workaround. It is not tested. Let me know how it works for you. --Joey

I did a git pull and now I get:

mkdir -p build
ghc -cpp -odir build -hidir build --make git-annex
[ 1 of 20] Compiling Portability      ( Portability.hs, build/Portability.o )

Portability.hs:13:21:
    Not in scope: type constructor or class `Exception'
make[1]: *** [git-annex] Error 1
make[1]: Leaving directory `/home/cstamas/tmp/git-annex'
dh_auto_build: make -j1 returned exit code 2
make: *** [build] Error 2
dpkg-buildpackage: failure: debian/rules build gave error exit status 2

--cstamas

Ok well, I'm not going to try to reimplement all of Control.Exception.Extensible so I've made it use it. You will have to figure out how to install that library yourself though, I don't know how to use cabal with such an old ghc. Library is here: http://hackage.haskell.org/package/extensible-exceptions and I asked how to get it on stable here: http://ask.debian.net/questions/how-to-get-haskell-extensible-extceptions-on-stable --Joey

I made some effort with cabal on lenny. I can install (and I did it) cabal from squeeze as dependencies are ok. Then I installed extensible exceptions, but it places it in some local dir that git-annex's installer (or ghc itself) does not know about.

Later I realized that only for the compilation ghc6 and its friends are needed. So I built the package on my other machine running squeeze. Then resulting deb packages cleanly installs on lenny

For me this is OK. Thanks! --cstamas

done