R help - Jun 2023 - LINUX SuSE15.4 (GNU & Intel) compiler problem in "configure" file

Dear R-Support Team:

  I am fully aware that you are all extremely busy and forward this request
as brief and clear as possible:
  Thank you for the comprehensive Documentation for R-4.3.1 (very helpful)

  A limitation seems to have emerged, using SuSE SP15.4 (kernel:
5.14.21-150400.22) on an INTEL Skylake-e
     SERVER, applying both the GNU and Intel (2023.0.0) compilers.

a)  The "configure" step complains about a syntax in the: ....
R-4.3.1/
*configure*  file
      As: ........ Partial "configure" output
    checking if libtool supports shared libraries... no
    checking whether to build shared libraries... no
    checking whether to build static libraries... yes
    checking how to run the C++ preprocessor... g++ -E
    checking for ld used by g++... /usr/x86_64-suse-linux/bin/ld
    checking if the linker (/usr/x86_64-suse-linux/bin/ld) is GNU ld... yes
    checking whether the g++ linker (/usr/x86_64-suse-linux/bin/ld)
supports shared libraries... no
    checking for g++ option to produce PIC... -fPIC -DPIC
    checking if g++ PIC flag -fPIC -DPIC works... yes
    checking if g++ static flag -static works... yes
    checking if g++ supports -c -o file.o... yes
    checking if g++ supports -c -o file.o... (cached) yes
    checking whether the g++ linker (/usr/x86_64-suse-linux/bin/ld)
supports shared libraries... no
    checking dynamic linker characteristics... no
    checking how to hardcode library paths into programs... immediate
    checking if libtool supports shared libraries... no
    checking whether to build shared libraries... no
    checking whether to build static libraries... yes
    checking for gfortran option to produce PIC... -fPIC
    checking if gfortran PIC flag -fPIC works... yes
    checking if gfortran static flag -static works... yes
    checking if gfortran supports -c -o file.o... yes
    checking if gfortran supports -c -o file.o... (cached) yes
    checking whether the gfortran linker (/usr/x86_64-suse-linux/bin/ld)
supports shared libraries... yes
    checking dynamic linker characteristics... no
    checking how to hardcode library paths into programs... immediate
        ./configure: line 24446: ${}: bad substitution

 b) Removing this dual inscripted *${* ${   }*}*  obviously solves the
limitation encountered during the configure step (below)

      ## Export LD_LIBRARY_PATH or equivalent.
     if eval "test -z \"\*${*${Rshlibpath_var}*}*\""; then
        eval "${Rshlibpath_var}=\"${R_LD_LIBRARY_PATH}\""
    else
        eval
"${Rshlibpath_var}=\"${R_LD_LIBRARY_PATH}${PATH_SEPARATOR}\${${Rshlibpath_var}}\""
    fi

   *And offers a clean pre-compilation result as*:
     R is now configured for x86_64-pc-none

     Source directory:            .
     Installation directory:      /opt/R/v4.3.1

     C compiler:                  gcc  -g -O2
     Fortran fixed-form compiler: gfortran  -g -O2

     Default C++ compiler:        g++ -std=gnu++17  -g -O2
     C++11 compiler:              g++ -std=gnu++11  -g -O2
     C++14 compiler:              g++ -std=gnu++14  -g -O2
     C++17 compiler:              g++ -std=gnu++17  -g -O2
     C++20 compiler:
     C++23 compiler:
     Fortran free-form compiler:  gfortran  -g -O2
     Obj-C compiler:              gcc -g -O2 -fobjc-exceptions

     Interfaces supported:        X11
     External libraries:          pcre2, readline, BLAS(OpenBLAS),
LAPACK(in blas), curl
     Additional capabilities:     PNG, NLS, cairo, ICU
     Options enabled:             shared R library, R profiling, memory
profiling

     Capabilities skipped:        JPEG, TIFF
     Options not enabled:         shared BLAS
     Recommended packages:        yes

c) But this seemingly relates to an error in the "ldpath" file at:
...R-4.3.1/etc/ldpath
        during the subsequent compilation step:

     /SOFTWARE/CODE-R/R-BASE/v4.3.1/etc/*ldpaths*: line 16: *${}*: bad
substitution
     make[4]: *** [../../../share/make/basepkg.mk:151: sysdata] Error 1
     make[4]: Leaving directory
'/SOFTWARE/CODE-R/R-BASE/v4.3.1/src/library/tools'
     make[3]: *** [Makefile:36: all] Error 2
     make[3]: Leaving directory
'/SOFTWARE/CODE-R/R-BASE/v4.3.1/src/library/tools'
    make[2]: *** [Makefile:37: R] Error 1
    make[2]: Leaving directory
'/SOFTWARE/CODE-R/R-BASE/v4.3.1/src/library'
    make[1]: *** [Makefile:28: R] Error 1
    make[1]: Leaving directory '/SOFTWARE/CODE-R/R-BASE/v4.3.1/src'
    make: *** [Makefile:62: R] Error 1

    Obviously, irrespective if the eliminaton of *${ }* under b) above has
been applied or not.

   d) Can you offer a work around to this please ?
      Kind Regards
        Jan Pretorius

Dr Jannie Pretorius
Research Fellow (Senior Scientist)
Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship & Chemistry Dept.
OLD COLLEGE HOUSE (1-15)
University of Pretoria
Hatfield Campus, Pretoria
Tel: +27 12 420 5305

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Please refer to?
http://upnet.up.ac.za/services/it/documentation/docs/004167.pdf 
<http://upnet.up.ac.za/services/it/documentation/docs/004167.pdf>?for
full 
details.

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On Wed, 28 Jun 2023 16:55:33 +0500
Jannie Pretorius <jannie.pretorius at up.ac.za> wrote:
>         ./configure: line 24446: ${}: bad substitution
>       ## Export LD_LIBRARY_PATH or equivalent.
>      if eval "test -z \"\*${*${Rshlibpath_var}*}*\"";
then
>         eval
"${Rshlibpath_var}=\"${R_LD_LIBRARY_PATH}\""
>     else
>         eval
>
"${Rshlibpath_var}=\"${R_LD_LIBRARY_PATH}${PATH_SEPARATOR}\${${Rshlibpath_var}}\""
>     fi
What's your /bin/sh? Is it a symlink to bash, dash, or something else?

Does the config.log file created in the directory where you ran
.../configure contain mentions of variables Rshlibpath_var and
shlibpath_var? Which values do they have? (Are they really empty?)

The configure script should have noticed that you're building for
GNU/Linux and set these variables appropriately (the value should be
'LD_LIBRARY_PATH' in both cases). What is the output of
tools/config.guess?

-- 
Best regards,
Ivan