build: Improve error message when pkg-config is not installed #24048

1. 
   hebasto commented at 3:41 pm on January 12, 2022: member

   Fixes bitcoin/bitcoin#24037.

   With this PR:

   0# ./autogen.sh 
   1configure.ac:16: error: PKG_PROG_PKG_CONFIG macro not found. Please install pkg-config and re-run autogen.sh
   2configure.ac:16: the top level
   3autom4te: /usr/bin/m4 failed with exit status: 1
   4aclocal: error: /usr/bin/autom4te failed with exit status: 1
   5autoreconf: aclocal failed with exit status: 1
   

2. build: Improve error message when pkg-config is not installed 18f304d988
3. DrahtBot added the label Build system on Jan 12, 2022
4. 
   jarolrod commented at 7:50 pm on January 12, 2022: member

   ACK 18f304d988117f2675e7393adda9f960fbf3cb3a

   Although the referenced issue is really a case of not reading the docs (@laanwj :D), this is still more helpful than the original message. If anyone ends up in this situation, this will help them get out of it.

   Out of the m4 diagnostic messages, diagnostic macros, m4_fatal looks appropriate for this use case.

   master: error message without pkg-config installed, running autogen.sh on Debian:

   0libtoolize: copying file 'build-aux/m4/lt~obsolete.m4'
   1configure.ac:16: error: possibly undefined macro: AC_MSG_ERROR
   2      If this token and others are legitimate, please use m4_pattern_allow.
   3      See the Autoconf documentation.
   4configure.ac:261: error: possibly undefined macro: AC_DEFINE
   5configure.ac:662: error: possibly undefined macro: AC_MSG_WARN
   6autoreconf: /usr/bin/autoconf failed with exit status: 1
   

   pr: error message without pkg-config installed, running autogen.sh on Debian:

   0configure.ac:16: error: PKG_PROG_PKG_CONFIG macro not found. Please install pkg-config and re-run autogen.sh
   1configure.ac:16: the top level
   

5. 
   laanwj commented at 10:13 am on January 13, 2022: member

   Tested ACK 18f304d988117f2675e7393adda9f960fbf3cb3a

   0 ./autogen.sh 
   1configure.ac:16: error: PKG_PROG_PKG_CONFIG macro not found. Please install pkg-config and re-run autogen.sh
   2configure.ac:16: the top level
   3autom4te: /usr/bin/m4 failed with exit status: 1
   4aclocal: error: /usr/bin/autom4te failed with exit status: 1
   5autoreconf: aclocal failed with exit status: 1
   

   Although the referenced issue is really a case of not reading the docs (@laanwj :D)

   I agree, but the error message in this case was just absurd.

6. laanwj merged this on Jan 13, 2022
7. laanwj closed this on Jan 13, 2022

   ---

8. hebasto deleted the branch on Jan 13, 2022
9. sidhujag referenced this in commit d548ed3c83 on Jan 13, 2022
10. DrahtBot locked this on Jan 13, 2023

Contributors
hebasto jarolrod laanwj

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Build system