[MacPorts] #45621: unison @2.40.102_2 crashes

[MacPorts]

#45621: unison @2.40.102_2 crashes
---------------------+--------------------------------
  Reporter:  me@…    |      Owner:  macports-tickets@…
      Type:  defect  |     Status:  reopened
  Priority:  Normal  |  Milestone:
 Component:  ports   |    Version:  2.3.2
Resolution:          |   Keywords:
      Port:  unison  |
---------------------+--------------------------------

Comment (by me@…):

 I found a workaround, it's nowhere near as good as being able to install a
 compatible version by the normal process, but it seems to be working so
 far.

 - Install OCaml 4.01 follow the directions at
 https://trac.macports.org/wiki/howto/InstallingOlderPort

   Use portfile
 https://trac.macports.org/browser/trunk/dports/lang/ocaml/Portfile?rev=117887

 - ( I don't think it helped, but I while trying to resolve error messages
 I added my username to the `admin` and `wheel` groups,

   see http://superuser.com/a/214311/175529 )

 - To install `./Portfile`, user `macports` must have `x` permission
 through the entire directory tree from `/` to `Portfile`

   I used the solution from http://superuser.com/a/598834/175529 : put the
 Portfile in /tmp, `cd /tmp`, and do the rest from there.

 - The OCaml 4.01 Portfile requires a nonexistant patch when using the
 default (XCode) compiler

   Setting the compiler to gcc skips that patch, see compiler options at
 https://trac.macports.org/wiki/UsingTheRightCompiler

 - To make sure I specified a compiler I already had installed I used `port
 installed | grep gcc` to find that only `gcc48` was installed.

   The command I used to build OCaml: `port install configure.compiler
 =macports-gcc-4.8`

 - The `aqua` variant of `unison` is broken, but there are patches posted
 in https://trac.macports.org/ticket/40052 that might work

   (I didn't try this.)

 - Since `unison` is usually installed as a pre-built backage, use `-s` to
 force local build (which will use the local OCaml 4.01); see
 http://stackoverflow.com/a/10669465/776723

   The command I used: `port -s install unison`

 It sounds like the underlying bug is an upstream unison bug (other
 incompatible unison versions abort after handshaking with an error
 message, rather than waiting until you've gone through the conflict
 resolution and then crashing), but MacPorts issuing an incompatible pre-
 built updated version, removing the older compatible version, and removing
 the older OCaml compiler version required for a compatible build, meant I
 had to jump through a lot of extra hoops just to make it work.  Is keeping
 the older versions available to install really more work than the hours of
 research I had to do to get it working again?  ... and what is the
 criteria for considering a problem that breaks a users install an
 "invalid" report?

-- 
Ticket URL: <https://trac.macports.org/ticket/45621#comment:3>
MacPorts <https://www.macports.org/>
Ports system for OS X