Subject: Necessary lib on Ubuntu for 17beta3

From: Holger Jakobs <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 9 Aug 2024 09:38:16 +0200

Hi everyone,

When trying to ./configure PostgreSQL 17 beta3, it complained that the 
ICU libraries weren't installed, when actually they were.

On top of the ICU libraries themselves, another, seemingly unrelated, 
package had to be installed as well.

On Ubuntu, this has to be done: apt install pkg-config

I expect this to be the same on a Debian system, and maybe others.

A hint to this package in some README or BUILD file or in the error 
output of ./configure may be of great help.

Kind Regards,

Holger

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Holger Jakobs, Bergisch Gladbach

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From: Michael Banck <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 9 Aug 2024 09:45:37 +0200

Hi,

On Fri, Aug 09, 2024 at 09:38:16AM +0200, Holger Jakobs wrote:
> When trying to ./configure PostgreSQL 17 beta3, it complained that the ICU
> libraries weren't installed, when actually they were.
> 

This is discussed here:
https://www.postgresql.org/docs/17/install-requirements.html

> A hint to this package in some README or BUILD file or in the error output
> of ./configure may be of great help.

I think you are right, the error could be improved. This is because
currently pkg-config support is not actively checked for and the
autoconf macros just fail in this case I believe.

Michael

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From: Holger Jakobs <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 9 Aug 2024 09:49:50 +0200

> autoconf macros just fail in this case I believe.

Exactly. Would it be possible to include a check for pkg-config in 
./configure so that an appropriate error message pops up instead of 
complaining about actually installed libraries?

See you next weekend, Michael ;-)

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