sys-apps/attr-2.4.39 fails to install under normal circumstances

[Arek]

When attempting to build a system from stage1 (while running 'paludis -i --dl-reinstall always system' for the first time), attr failed to install for me with the following error:

checking for i686-pc-linux-gnu-gcc option to accept ISO C89... none needed
configure: error: cannot run /bin/sh ./config.sub
<snip>

I ran 'emerge --oneshot --nodeps attr' to see if that worked...it got past the point where the error was occurring, so I canceled out. After this, I re-ran paludis --dl-deps-default discard --preserve-world attr to get the error back into my scrollback buffer, and it actually installed attr instead of erroring (O.o). I have no idea why the error occurred, or why running portage fixed it, but I'm trac'ing it so that you at least know about it.

--Arek

P.S. Here's my 'paludis --info':

paludis 0.26.0_alpha4
Paludis build information:
    Compiler:
        CXX:                   i686-pc-linux-gnu-g++ 4.2.2 (Gentoo 4.2.2 p1.0)
        CXXFLAGS:              -march=athlon-xp -mtune=athlon-xp -O2 -fomit-frame-pointer -pipe
        LDFLAGS:
        DATE:                  2008-01-01T12:04:34-0600

    Libraries:
        C++ Library:           GNU libstdc++ 20071007

    Reduced Privs:
        reduced_uid:           101
        reduced_uid->name:     paludisbuild
        reduced_uid->dir:      /var/tmp/paludis
        reduced_gid:           440
        reduced_gid->name:     paludisbuild

    Paths:
        DATADIR:               /usr/share
        LIBDIR:                /usr/lib
        LIBEXECDIR:            /usr/libexec
        SYSCONFDIR:            /etc
        PYTHONINSTALLDIR:
        RUBYINSTALLDIR:

Repository virtuals:
    format:                    virtuals

Repository installed-virtuals:
    root:                      /
    format:                    installed_virtuals

Repository gentoo:
    format:                    ebuild
    layout:                    traditional
    location:                  /usr/portage
    profiles:                  /usr/portage/profiles/default-linux/x86/2007.0
    cache:                     /usr/portage/metadata/cache
    write_cache:               /var/cache/paludis/metadata
    append_repository_name_to_write_cache: true
    ignore_deprecated_profiles: false
    names_cache:               /usr/portage/.cache/names
    distdir:                   /usr/portage/distfiles
    eclassdirs:                /usr/portage/eclass
    securitydir:               /usr/portage/metadata/glsa
    setsdir:                   /usr/portage/sets
    newsdir:                   /usr/portage/metadata/news
    sync:                      rsync://rsync.gentoo.org/gentoo-portage
    sync_options:
    builddir:                  /var/tmp/paludis
    eapi_when_unknown:         0
    eapi_when_unspecified:     0
    profile_eapi:              0

    Package information:
        app-admin/eselect-compiler: (none)
        app-shells/bash:       3.2_p17-r1
        dev-java/java-config:  (none)
        dev-lang/python:       2.4.3-r4 2.5.1-r4
        dev-python/pycrypto:   2.0.1-r5
        dev-util/ccache:       (none)
        dev-util/confcache:    (none)
        sys-apps/baselayout:   1.12.9
        sys-apps/sandbox:      1.2.18.1-r2
        sys-devel/autoconf:    2.13 2.61-r1
        sys-devel/automake:    1.10
        sys-devel/binutils:    2.18-r1
        sys-devel/gcc-config:  1.4.0-r4
        sys-devel/libtool:     1.5.24
        virtual/os-headers:    2.6.23-r3 (for sys-kernel/linux-headers::installed)

Repository installed:
    location:                  /var/db/pkg
    root:                      /
    format:                    vdb
    world:                     /var/db/pkg/world
    provides_cache:            /var/db/pkg/.cache/provides
    names_cache:               /var/db/pkg/.cache/names
    builddir:                  /var/tmp/paludis


No packages were specified on the command line, so detailed information is not
available (Paludis can display detailed information for both installed and
installable packages).

[ciaranm]

Does this happen only when installing from a stage1, or even once you have a complete system?

[Arek]

This isn't happening now, if that's what you're asking - attr installed, after basically touching it with portage (I haven't tried re-installing it since). After I get my system up, I could try it from a stage3 chroot if you want, just to be sure if it's a stage1-only problem.

--Arek

[ciaranm]

Yes please. A stage 1 is an obsolete construct back from the early days of how Gentoo did things. It has all sorts of oddities with missing and incomplete packages, and it shouldn't be used any more.

[ciaranm]

Assuming it only happens off stage 1, in which case it's not a real bug. Reopen if otherwise.