[Libguestfs] make install ignoring PREFIX for bash_completion

[AP]

>> I am trying to install the libguestfs python bindings in my
>> virtualenv. Since this cannot be done through PIP,
>
> The PIP problem is https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1075594
> Unfortunately we are stuck here because the pypi website still has a
> license that we cannot live with (it would have the effect of
> assigning all work we upload to them).  They have said this is not
> their intention, but declined to do anything about the actual wording.
>
>> I was trying to do
>> the following:
>>
>> https://github.com/libguestfs/libguestfs/commit/fcbfc4775fa2a44020974073594a745ca420d614
>>
>> To get to building the python dist, I did the following:
>>
>> git clone https://github.com/libguestfs/libguestfs.git
>> git checkout 1.28.5
>> ./autogen.sh --disable-php --disable-ruby --disable-gobject
>> --disable-golang --disable-erlang --disable-lua
>> --prefix=/home/dev/venv
>> make
>> rm po-docs/podfiles; make -C po-docs update-po
>> make
>> make -C python sdist
>> make install
>>
>> However at the "make install" step, I get the following error:
>>
>> make[2]: Entering directory '/home/dev/libguestfs/bash'
>> make[2]: Nothing to be done for 'install-exec-am'.
>> /bin/mkdir -p /usr/share/bash-completion/completions
>> cp -d guestfish guestmount virt-alignment-scan virt-rescue virt-resize
>> virt-builder virt-cat virt-df virt-edit virt-filesystems virt-format
>> virt-inspector virt-log virt-ls virt-sparsify virt-sysprep
>> /usr/share/bash-completion/completions
>> cp: cannot create regular file
>> '/usr/share/bash-completion/completions/guestfish': Permission denied
>> cp: cannot create regular file
>> '/usr/share/bash-completion/completions/guestmount': Permission denied
>> cp: cannot create regular file
>> '/usr/share/bash-completion/completions/virt-alignment-scan':
>> Permission denied
>> cp: cannot create regular file
>> '/usr/share/bash-completion/completions/virt-rescue': Permission
>> denied
>> cp: cannot create regular file
>> '/usr/share/bash-completion/completions/virt-resize': Permission
>> denied
>> cp: cannot remove
>> '/usr/share/bash-completion/completions/virt-builder': Permission
>> denied
>> cp: cannot remove '/usr/share/bash-completion/completions/virt-cat':
>> Permission denied
>> cp: cannot remove '/usr/share/bash-completion/completions/virt-df':
>> Permission denied
>> cp: cannot remove '/usr/share/bash-completion/completions/virt-edit':
>> Permission denied
>> cp: cannot remove
>> '/usr/share/bash-completion/completions/virt-filesystems': Permission
>> denied
>> cp: cannot remove
>> '/usr/share/bash-completion/completions/virt-format': Permission
>> denied
>> cp: cannot remove
>> '/usr/share/bash-completion/completions/virt-inspector': Permission
>> denied
>> cp: cannot remove '/usr/share/bash-completion/completions/virt-log':
>> Permission denied
>> cp: cannot remove '/usr/share/bash-completion/completions/virt-ls':
>> Permission denied
>> cp: cannot remove
>> '/usr/share/bash-completion/completions/virt-sparsify': Permission
>> denied
>> cp: cannot remove
>> '/usr/share/bash-completion/completions/virt-sysprep': Permission
>> denied
>> Makefile:1671: recipe for target 'install-data-local' failed
>> make[2]: *** [install-data-local] Error 1
>>
>>
>> Why is the install process trying to copy files in to /usr/share/ and
>> not /home/dev/venv/usr/share/? Am I doing something wrong or is there
>> a workaround for this?
>
> After trying './configure --prefix=/tmp && make && make install' I see
> there's a disturbingly large number of problems/bugs in this area ...
>
> The configure script only uses --prefix so far, but frequently
> overrides it.  eg: OCaml scripts are always installed in
> `ocamlc -where' and in the case above bash-completion scripts are
> always installed in `pkg-config --variable=completionsdir bash-completion'.

Ah I see what is going on now. Interestingly I had this somehow
working with 1.27.49. I unfortunately did not keep detailed notes.

> I guess whether you think this is a bug or a feature depends on your
> point of view ...
>
> After using 'python sdist', can't you use the tarball (in python/dist)
> in order to create a venv directly?

I think I will be able to install the python library in the venv using
the tarball. However, won't my liguestfs application require some of
the binaries installed as part of 'make install' for running? I am
trying to not have libguestfs installed outside of the venv.

Thanks,
Aravindh