# gitweb.js build mistake

5 messages from 2025-02-28 to 2025-03-27. Participants: Thorsten Glaser, Simon Richter, Patrick Steinhardt.
Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/63020

## Thorsten Glaser, 2025-02-28 05:34

Subject: gitweb.js build mistake
Message-ID: <070641d0-730c-7d92-af4a-9157dc1edd3d@debian.org>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/070641d0-730c-7d92-af4a-9157dc1edd3d%40debian.org

```
Hi,

the new gitweb.js build (moved into a shell script) now
appends said shell script to the end of the gitweb.js
that’s actually installed, causing js syntax errors and
no small amount of confusion.

This is because (rightfully) the output got a new dependency…
> $(MAK_DIR_GITWEB)static/gitweb.js: $(MAK_DIR_GITWEB)generate-gitweb-js.sh
… but the rule uses $^ to append sources.

Possible fix attached.

bye,
//mirabilos
-- 
<ch> you introduced a merge commit        │<mika> % g rebase -i HEAD^^
<mika> sorry, no idea and rebasing just fscked │<mika> Segmentation
<ch> should have cloned into a clean repo      │  fault (core dumped)
<ch> if I rebase that now, it's really ugh     │<mika:#grml> wuahhhhhh

From ed9863971d37ed53628a5871a4a569ccd6287f53 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: mirabilos <tg@debian.org>
Date: Fri, 28 Feb 2025 05:33:10 +0000
Subject: [PATCH] Unbreak content of gitweb.js

The former $^ adds all prerequisites, including the
(proper) new dependency on the generator script.

Signed-off-by: mirabilos <tg@debian.org>
---
 gitweb/Makefile | 2 +-
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/gitweb/Makefile b/gitweb/Makefile
index d5748e9359..2a8f97cef8 100644
--- a/gitweb/Makefile
+++ b/gitweb/Makefile
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ $(MAK_DIR_GITWEB)gitweb.cgi: $(MAK_DIR_GITWEB)gitweb.perl
 $(MAK_DIR_GITWEB)static/gitweb.js: $(MAK_DIR_GITWEB)generate-gitweb-js.sh
 $(MAK_DIR_GITWEB)static/gitweb.js: $(addprefix $(MAK_DIR_GITWEB),$(GITWEB_JSLIB_FILES))
 	$(QUIET_GEN)$(RM) $@ $@+ && \
-	$(MAK_DIR_GITWEB)generate-gitweb-js.sh $@+ $^ && \
+	$(MAK_DIR_GITWEB)generate-gitweb-js.sh $@+ $(addprefix $(MAK_DIR_GITWEB),$(GITWEB_JSLIB_FILES)) && \
 	mv $@+ $@
 
 ### Installation rules
-- 
2.30.2


```

## Simon Richter, 2025-02-28 05:46

Subject: Re: gitweb.js build mistake
Message-ID: <fc549e53-c3b1-4aaa-b027-19d8dae2f3a6@hogyros.de>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/fc549e53-c3b1-4aaa-b027-19d8dae2f3a6%40hogyros.de
In-Reply-To: <070641d0-730c-7d92-af4a-9157dc1edd3d@debian.org>

```
Hi,

On 2/28/25 14:34, Thorsten Glaser wrote:

> This is because (rightfully) the output got a new dependency…
>> $(MAK_DIR_GITWEB)static/gitweb.js: $(MAK_DIR_GITWEB)generate-gitweb-js.sh
> … but the rule uses $^ to append sources.

> Possible fix attached.

Would an order-only dependency also work?

     $(MAK_DIR_GITWEB)static/gitweb.js: | 
$(MAK_DIR_GITWEB)generate-gitweb-js.sh

    Simon

```

## Thorsten Glaser, 2025-02-28 06:34

Subject: Re: gitweb.js build mistake
Message-ID: <175d9d3d-6e75-3348-6037-f1c774fc0d0c@debian.org>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/175d9d3d-6e75-3348-6037-f1c774fc0d0c%40debian.org
In-Reply-To: <fc549e53-c3b1-4aaa-b027-19d8dae2f3a6@hogyros.de>

```
On Fri, 28 Feb 2025, Simon Richter wrote:

> Would an order-only dependency also work?
>
>    $(MAK_DIR_GITWEB)static/gitweb.js: | $(MAK_DIR_GITWEB)generate-gitweb-js.sh

Erk, that’s a gmake-ism. I have no idea, possibly. As a BSD make
person I consider use of $^ in nōn-suffix rules generally often
problematic…

Perhaps test if it indeed works; if it does, choose by whatever
is the project-desired style.

Thanks,
//mirabilos
-- 
11:56⎜«liwakura:#!/bin/mksh» also, i wanted to add mksh to my own distro │
i was disappointed that there is no makefile │ but somehow the Build.sh is
the least painful built system i've ever seen │ honours CC, {CPP,C,LD}FLAGS
properly │ looks cleary like done by someone who knows what they are doing

```

## Patrick Steinhardt, 2025-02-28 07:02

Subject: Re: gitweb.js build mistake
Message-ID: <Z8FfeEDHZocWHKeM@pks.im>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/Z8FfeEDHZocWHKeM%40pks.im
In-Reply-To: <070641d0-730c-7d92-af4a-9157dc1edd3d@debian.org>

```
On Fri, Feb 28, 2025 at 06:34:43AM +0100, Thorsten Glaser wrote:
> From ed9863971d37ed53628a5871a4a569ccd6287f53 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
> From: mirabilos <tg@debian.org>
> Date: Fri, 28 Feb 2025 05:33:10 +0000
> Subject: [PATCH] Unbreak content of gitweb.js
> 
> The former $^ adds all prerequisites, including the
> (proper) new dependency on the generator script.

The commit message could use a bit of polishing. How about the
following:

    gitweb: fix generation of "gitweb.js"

    In 19d8fe7da65 (Makefile: extract script to generate gitweb.js,
    2024-12-06) we have extracted the logic to build "gitweb.js" into a
    separate script. As part of that the rules that builds the script
    has gained a new dependency on that script.

    This refactoring is broken though because we use "$^" to determine
    the set of JavaScript files that need to be concatenated, and this
    implicit variable now also contains the build script itself. As a
    result, the build script ends up ni the generated "gitweb.js" file,
    which is wrong.

    Fix the issue by explicitly only passing the JavaScript files.

> Signed-off-by: mirabilos <tg@debian.org>

We typically require plain names instead of aliases in the SOB.

> ---
>  gitweb/Makefile | 2 +-
>  1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)
> 
> diff --git a/gitweb/Makefile b/gitweb/Makefile
> index d5748e9359..2a8f97cef8 100644
> --- a/gitweb/Makefile
> +++ b/gitweb/Makefile
> @@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ $(MAK_DIR_GITWEB)gitweb.cgi: $(MAK_DIR_GITWEB)gitweb.perl
>  $(MAK_DIR_GITWEB)static/gitweb.js: $(MAK_DIR_GITWEB)generate-gitweb-js.sh
>  $(MAK_DIR_GITWEB)static/gitweb.js: $(addprefix $(MAK_DIR_GITWEB),$(GITWEB_JSLIB_FILES))
>  	$(QUIET_GEN)$(RM) $@ $@+ && \
> -	$(MAK_DIR_GITWEB)generate-gitweb-js.sh $@+ $^ && \
> +	$(MAK_DIR_GITWEB)generate-gitweb-js.sh $@+ $(addprefix $(MAK_DIR_GITWEB),$(GITWEB_JSLIB_FILES)) && \
>  	mv $@+ $@

We could avoid repetition by filtering out any files that we don't care
about, like so:

    $(filter %.js,$^)

In any case, thanks for discovering and fixing this issue!

Patrick

```

## Patrick Steinhardt, 2025-03-27 10:13

Subject: Re: gitweb.js build mistake
Message-ID: <Z-UkysDjZZcVFfyM@pks.im>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/Z-UkysDjZZcVFfyM%40pks.im
In-Reply-To: <Z8FfeEDHZocWHKeM@pks.im>

```
On Fri, Feb 28, 2025 at 08:02:16AM +0100, Patrick Steinhardt wrote:
> On Fri, Feb 28, 2025 at 06:34:43AM +0100, Thorsten Glaser wrote:
> > From ed9863971d37ed53628a5871a4a569ccd6287f53 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
> > From: mirabilos <tg@debian.org>
> > Date: Fri, 28 Feb 2025 05:33:10 +0000
> > Subject: [PATCH] Unbreak content of gitweb.js
> > 
> > The former $^ adds all prerequisites, including the
> > (proper) new dependency on the generator script.
> 
> The commit message could use a bit of polishing. How about the
> following:
> 
>     gitweb: fix generation of "gitweb.js"
> 
>     In 19d8fe7da65 (Makefile: extract script to generate gitweb.js,
>     2024-12-06) we have extracted the logic to build "gitweb.js" into a
>     separate script. As part of that the rules that builds the script
>     has gained a new dependency on that script.
> 
>     This refactoring is broken though because we use "$^" to determine
>     the set of JavaScript files that need to be concatenated, and this
>     implicit variable now also contains the build script itself. As a
>     result, the build script ends up ni the generated "gitweb.js" file,
>     which is wrong.
> 
>     Fix the issue by explicitly only passing the JavaScript files.
> 
> > Signed-off-by: mirabilos <tg@debian.org>
> 
> We typically require plain names instead of aliases in the SOB.

> > ---
> >  gitweb/Makefile | 2 +-
> >  1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)
> > 
> > diff --git a/gitweb/Makefile b/gitweb/Makefile
> > index d5748e9359..2a8f97cef8 100644
> > --- a/gitweb/Makefile
> > +++ b/gitweb/Makefile
> > @@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ $(MAK_DIR_GITWEB)gitweb.cgi: $(MAK_DIR_GITWEB)gitweb.perl
> >  $(MAK_DIR_GITWEB)static/gitweb.js: $(MAK_DIR_GITWEB)generate-gitweb-js.sh
> >  $(MAK_DIR_GITWEB)static/gitweb.js: $(addprefix $(MAK_DIR_GITWEB),$(GITWEB_JSLIB_FILES))
> >  	$(QUIET_GEN)$(RM) $@ $@+ && \
> > -	$(MAK_DIR_GITWEB)generate-gitweb-js.sh $@+ $^ && \
> > +	$(MAK_DIR_GITWEB)generate-gitweb-js.sh $@+ $(addprefix $(MAK_DIR_GITWEB),$(GITWEB_JSLIB_FILES)) && \
> >  	mv $@+ $@
> 
> We could avoid repetition by filtering out any files that we don't care
> about, like so:
> 
>     $(filter %.js,$^)
> 
> In any case, thanks for discovering and fixing this issue!
> 
> Patrick

Thorsten, do you plan to send another version of this patch that
includes my feedback? Otherwise I'm happy to bring this over the
finishing line.

Thanks!

Patrick

```
