[Help Wanted] ./configure failure on macosx #12446

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I'm not sure where to begin. Any help would be appreciated.

After installing the dependencies with brew, I ran: $./autogen.sh $./configure

./configure: line 1: syntax error near unexpected token `('
./configure: line 1: `m4trace:configure.ac:11: -1- AC_INIT([Bitcoin Core], [_CLIENT_VERSION_MAJOR._CLIENT_VERSION_MINOR._CLIENT_VERSION_REVISION], [https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/issues], [bitcoin], [https://bitcoincore.org/])'

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Versions:

- MacOSX Sierra v10.13.1
- Homebrew 1.5.4-46-gef1924e
- Warning: automake 1.15.1 is already installed
- Warning: berkeley-db@4 4.8.30 is already installed
- Warning: libtool 2.4.6_1 is already installed
- Warning: boost 1.66.0 is already installed
- Warning: miniupnpc 2.0.20180203 is already installed
- Warning: openssl 1.0.2n is already installed
- Warning: pkg-config 0.29.2 is already installed
- Warning: protobuf 3.5.1 is already installed
- Warning: python3 3.6.4_2 is already installed
- Warning: qt 5.10.1 is already installed
- Warning: libevent 2.1.8 is already installed

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Do you have autoconf installed?

I just checked and yes. Autoconf v2.69

Are you following Mac OS X Build Instructions and Notes?

If you open bitcoin/configure in a text editor, what are the first few lines of code? There should just be comments, without (.

Also, this Bitcoin Talk link might help.

Yes. First few lines contain

m4trace:configure.ac:11: -1- AC_INIT([Bitcoin Core], [_CLIENT_VERSION_MAJOR._CLIENT_VERSION_MINOR._CLIENT_VERSION_REVISION], [https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/issues], [bitcoin], [https://bitcoincore.org/])
m4trace:configure.ac:11: -1- m4_pattern_forbid([^_?A[CHUM]_])
m4trace:configure.ac:11: -1- m4_pattern_forbid([_AC_])
m4trace:configure.ac:11: -1- m4_pattern_forbid([^LIBOBJS$], [do not use LIBOBJS directly, use AC_LIBOBJ (see section `AC_LIBOBJ vs LIBOBJS'])

I'll check out that link and see if I can find a solution. Thanks.

It is likely you have the wrong version of something.

Can you update Homebrew and your local packages / dependencies?

Update Homebrew

brew update

Update / Upgrade Local Packages

brew upgrade

For more information check out Homebrew's FAQ.

@jakezeal You were right on the outdated Homebrew. Just updated, but no luck with the same issue. Which packages do you think specifically would cause this?

Are you still seeing this on the latest master?

Closing for now. @dustinltran Feel free to re-open if this is still an issue.

Hi guys(especially @dustinltran),

The issue happened to me and it took a few hours to find the reason.

I found a stack overflow q&a about the same situation, and I realized I tried to compile the bitcoin reference source on my 4TB external HDD, which has exFAT filesystem.

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/24326419/osx-autotools-aclocal-m4-not-being-output-by-autom4te

I just put the source into my internal SSD and it compiles like a magic!

So Dustin, if you are still trying to compile the source code in exFAT or FAT32 filesystem, can you move it to the HDD or SSD with APFS (anyway, if it is not the FAT variaint it will be fine I think)?