| Home page: | https://github.com/pierre-rouleau/about-erlang |
|---|---|
| Navigation: | Prev, Top, Next |
| Time-stamp: | <2021-06-05 11:39:24, updated by Pierre Rouleau> |
| Copyright: | Copyright © 2020, 2021, Pierre Rouleau |
| License: | MIT |
Table of Contents
If you want to build Erlang from source easily, you can use Kerl. This tool is a shell script that controls the build. It attempts to be shell agnostic and requires only curl and git as dependencies.
On macOS, to use Kerl, you also need XCode and a recent version of OpenSSL.
The OpenSSL version that is available on macOS is outdated.
The easiest way to install a more recent version of OpenSSL on macOS is to use
Homebrew with brew install openssl.
When building Erlang with Kerl (and asdf-vm) you can use the default macOS C/C++ toolchain part of Xcode, which is Apple's own version of the Clang compiler suite, or you can also install GCC or the LLVM Clang compiler suites. I have been able to build with the 3 suites. However, I must have a setup problem with my GCC 9 installation because builds with GCC 9 fail to produce an Erlang debugger that works. I've had no problem with the Apple native compiler nor with LLVM 10.
Depending on what you have on your system, you may have to install other tools to perform the build with Kerl. You might need to install GNU Make for instance. On macOS, use Homebrew to install those tools.
To use Kerl you need to set several shell environment variables. The instructions provided by the Kerl home page describe what to add to your shell setup. Instead of doing that I the same strategy and create a shell script to install the environment along with a shell alias to invoke it.
For the macOS I use the following:
- The envfor-kerl script that sets the environment variables needed by Kerl. This script is not executable; it must be sourced.
- The envfor-gmake script that activates the GNU Make installed using Homebrew. This is required on macOS because the system make is an older version.
- Two bashrc alias commands ,
use-kerlanduse-gmakethat I can use on the command line.
I use the following envfor-kerl script that must be sourced:
# Sourced script. -*- mode: sh; -*-
# Name: envfor-kerl
# Abstract: setup shell to build Erlang with Kerl.
# Last Modified Time-stamp: <2021-05-15 20:06:00, updated by Pierre Rouleau>
# -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Description:
#
# This file *must* be sourced.
#
# Run with: use-kerl
#
# -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
# References:
# - Adopting Erlang - Setup : https://adoptingerlang.org/docs/development/setup/
# - Kerl: https://github.com/kerl/kerl
# - Elixir Forum: Installing Erlang with Docs: https://elixirforum.com/t/help-installing-erlang-with-docs/22457
#
# Instructions:
#
# - to build: kerl build {release} {build name}
# - example: kerl build 22.0 22.0
# - to install: kerl install {build name} {target path}
# - example: kerl install 22.0 ~/bin/erls/22.0/
# - to activate: . {target path}/activate
# - example: . ~/bin/erls/22.0/activate
#
# -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
if [ "$ROUP_FOR_BUILDING_ERLANG" == "" ]; then
SSL_PATH=/usr/local/Cellar/openssl@1.1/1.1.1k/
echo "$SSL_PATH"
if [ -f "$SSL_PATH/bin/openssl" ]; then
export ROUP_FOR_BUILDING_ERLANG=$PATH
export KERL_BUILD_BACKEND="git"
export KERL_CONFIGURE_OPTIONS="--without-javac --with-dynamic-trace=dtrace --with-ssl=${SSL_PATH}"
export KERL_BUILD_DOCS=yes
export KERL_INSTALL_MANPAGES=yes
export KERL_INSTALL_HTMLDOCS=yes
use-gmake
else
echo "Error: $SSL_PATH does not exists!"
echo " Where is Homebrew's OpenSSL?"
echo " Perhaps Homebrew updated it to another version?"
echo " Update envfor-kerl script with the proper OpenSSL path!"
return 2
fi
else
printf "Shell is already setup for building Erlang!\n"
return 1
fi
# -----------------------------------------------------------------------------The script installs the Homebrew installed make, instead of the system Make, which is older in macOS.
# Sourced script. -*- mode: sh; -*-
# Name: envfor-gmake
# Abstract: Install latest GNU Make as the main make in the current shell.
# Last Modified Time-stamp: <2021-05-15 20:33:48, updated by Pierre Rouleau>
# -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Description:
#
# This file *must* be sourced.
#
# Run with: use-gmake
#
# Activates the latest GNU Make taken from Homebrew, replacing the old GNU
# Make distributed on macOS (GNU Make 3.81 from 2006).
#
# -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
if [ "$ROUP_USING_GMAKE" == "" ]; then
export ROUP_USING_GMAKE=$PATH
export PATH="/usr/local/opt/make/libexec/gnubin:$PATH"
if [ "$(gmake --version)" == "$(make --version)" ]; then
printf "Now using the Homebrew-installed GNU Make in this shell.\n"
printf "Both gmake and make now use the same GNU Make:\n"
gmake --version
printf "\n"
else
printf "Error! make and gmake differ!\n"
return 2
fi
else
printf "GNU GMAKE is already installed in this shell!\n"
printf "The original path is inside ROUP_USING_GMAKE\n"
return 1
fi
# -----------------------------------------------------------------------------The 2 aliases I have in my .bashrc file for these are the following:
alias use-kerl='source envfor-kerl'
alias use-gmake='source envfor-gmake'The Kerl home page describes Kerl commands. When building Erlang with Kerl, you use Kerl to get a list of all available Git repositories with Erlang source code, clone a Erlang source git repository for the Erlang version you want to build, build the Erlang version and optionally provide a different name to recognize it when you have special build setups, and then install the built Erlang version inside a directory tree, ready to be used.
The important Kerl commands are the following:
- kerl update releases
- kerl build {release} {build name}
- kerl install {build name} {target path}
- kerl install 21.3 ~/bin/erls/21.3/
And then to activate a specific version of Erlang you source the corresponding
activate script located in the directory where you installed Kerl builds (in
this example this directory is ~/bin/erls):
. ~/bin/erls/21.3/activateBelow you can see the commands use to:
- setup a new shell with Kerl:
use-kerl, - use Kerl to list all available Erlang versions:
kerl update releases, - use Kerl to build Erlang 19.3.6.13:
kerl build 19.3.6.13 19.3.6.13, - use Kerl to install Erlang 19.3.6.13 in ~/bin/erls:
kerl install 19.3.6.13 ~/bin/erls/19.3.6.13n.
For this build I do not have Java tools available, so the build did not create Erlang's JInterface.
Last login: Sat Jul 4 18:25:03 on ttys014
> use-kerl
Now using the Homebrew-installed GNU Make in this shell
GNU Make 4.3
Built for x86_64-apple-darwin18.7.0
Copyright (C) 1988-2020 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.
>Pierres-iMac@Sat Jul 04@18:39:44[~]
> kerl update releases
The available releases are:
R13B03
R13B04
R14A
...
19.3.6.13
...
20.3.2.1
20.3.3
20.3.4
20.3.5
20.3.6
...
20.3.8.26
21.0-rc1
21.0-rc2
21.0
...
22.3.4.1
22.3.4.2
23.0-rc1
23.0-rc2
23.0-rc3
23.0
23.0.1
23.0.2
> kerl build 19.3.6.13 19.3.6.13
Downloading OTP-19.3.6.13.tar.gz to /Users/roup/.kerl/archives
% Total % Received % Xferd Average Speed Time Time Time Current
Dload Upload Total Spent Left Speed
100 125 100 125 0 0 395 0 --:--:-- --:--:-- --:--:-- 394
100 32.4M 0 32.4M 0 0 5854k 0 --:--:-- 0:00:05 --:--:-- 7246k
Extracting source code
Building Erlang/OTP 19.3.6.13 (19.3.6.13), please wait...
APPLICATIONS DISABLED (See: /Users/roup/.kerl/builds/19.3.6.13/otp_build_19.3.6.13.log)
* jinterface : Java compiler disabled by user
Building docs...
Erlang/OTP 19.3.6.13 (19.3.6.13) has been successfully built
>On my system the download and the built took about 20 minutes.
The next step required is to install the Erlang version build:
> kerl install 19.3.6.13 ~/bin/erls/19.3.6.13n
Installing Erlang/OTP 19.3.6.13 (19.3.6.13) in ~/bin/erls/19.3.6.13n...
You can activate this installation running the following command:
. ~/bin/erls/19.3.6.13n/activate
Later on, you can leave the installation typing:
kerl_deactivate
>Kerl stores its files inside the ~/.kerl directory tree. The directory
holds 3 files (otp_builds, otp_installations and otp_releases) and 2 sub-directories
(archives and builds).
> tree -L 1 -A .kerl
.kerl
├── archives
├── builds
├── otp_builds
├── otp_installations
└── otp_releases
2 directories, 3 files
>The ~/.kerl/archives stores the compressed tarballs of downloaded Erlang
archives and the ~/.kerl/builds hold the Erlang builds but not in a layout
ready for execution). Here's the layout at 3 directory level deep taken
after building 19.3.6.13
> tree -d -L 3 -A .kerl
.kerl
├── archives
└── builds
├── 19.0
│ ├── otp_src_19.0
│ └── release_19.0
├── 19.3.6.13
│ ├── otp_src_19.3.6.13
│ └── release_19.3.6.13
├── 22.0
│ ├── otp_src_22.0
│ └── release_22.0
├── 22.1
│ ├── otp_src_22.1
│ └── release_22.1
├── 22.2
│ ├── otp_src_22.2
│ └── release_22.2
├── 22.3
│ ├── otp_src_22.3
│ └── release_22.3
├── 22.3.3
│ ├── otp_src_22.3.3
│ └── release_22.3.3
├── 22.3.4.2
│ ├── otp_src_22.3.4.2
│ └── release_22.3.4.2
├── 22.3.4.2n
│ ├── otp_src_22.3.4.2
│ └── release_22.3.4.2
├── 23.0
│ ├── otp_src_23.0
│ └── release_23.0
├── 23.0-llvm
│ ├── otp_src_23.0
│ └── release_23.0
├── 23.0.2
│ ├── otp_src_23.0.2
│ └── release_23.0.2
└── 23.0.2n
├── otp_src_23.0.2
└── release_23.0.2
41 directories
>Looking at ~/bin/erls at 2 directory level deep, we can see that some builds include the man
directory and some don't. At this point I do not know why that is the case.
> tree -d -L 2 -A bin/erls
bin/erls
├── 19.3.6.13n
│ ├── bin
│ ├── doc
│ ├── erts-8.3.5.7
│ ├── lib
│ ├── man
│ ├── misc
│ ├── releases
│ └── usr
├── 22.0
│ ├── bin
│ ├── erts-10.4
│ ├── lib
│ ├── misc
│ ├── releases
│ └── usr
├── 22.2
│ ├── bin
│ ├── erts-10.6
│ ├── lib
│ ├── misc
│ ├── releases
│ └── usr
├── 22.3
│ ├── bin
│ ├── erts-10.7
│ ├── lib
│ ├── misc
│ ├── releases
│ └── usr
├── 22.3.3
│ ├── bin
│ ├── doc
│ ├── erts-10.7.1
│ ├── lib
│ ├── man
│ ├── misc
│ ├── releases
│ └── usr
├── 22.3.4.2
│ ├── bin
│ ├── doc
│ ├── erts-10.7.2.1
│ ├── lib
│ ├── man
│ ├── misc
│ ├── releases
│ └── usr
├── 22.3.4.2n
│ ├── bin
│ ├── doc
│ ├── erts-10.7.2.1
│ ├── lib
│ ├── man
│ ├── misc
│ ├── releases
│ └── usr
├── 23.0
│ ├── bin
│ ├── doc
│ ├── erts-11.0
│ ├── lib
│ ├── man
│ ├── misc
│ ├── releases
│ └── usr
├── 23.0.2
│ ├── bin
│ ├── erts-11.0.2
│ ├── lib
│ ├── misc
│ ├── releases
│ └── usr
└── llvm-23.0
├── bin
├── doc
├── erts-11.0
├── lib
├── misc
├── releases
└── usr
81 directories
>I previously built Erlang 23.0.2 using the exact same method described above.
That build was using the macOS native compiler toolchain. I created a shell
script called envfor-erlang-23-kn to setup a shell with that version of
Erlang and by .bashrc file has the alias use-erlang-23-kn to source
that script.
Here's the script:
# Sourced script: envfor-erlang-23-kn -*- mode: sh; -*-
#
# Purpose : Install Erlang 23.0.2 (built with Kerl/Native clang)
# Created : Tuesday, May 18 2021.
# Author : Pierre Rouleau <prouleau001@gmail.com>
# Time-stamp: <2021-06-04 15:44:17, updated by Pierre Rouleau>
# Copyright © 2021, Pierre Rouleau
# License : MIT
# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Description
# -----------
#
# Run with: use-erlang-23-kn
#
#
# It uses 'Kerl activate' to install Erlang 23.0.2
#
# This script:
# - Set PATH to get the specified Erlang version (via kerl)
# - Ensure that the Erlang man pages are available via the man command:
# - Set MANPATH to provide access the Erlang man pages
# - If MAN_ONLY_ERLANG environment variable is set, MANPATH
# is set to that directory only, otherwise the Erlang man directory
# is added in front of the current value of MANPATH.
# - Set following environment variables:
# - DIR_ERLANG_DEV : where Erlang projects are stored.
# Also acts as a flag protecting against
# multiple execution of scripts that
# set Erlang environment.
# - PEL_ERLANG_VERSION : version of the active Erlang
# - PEL_ERLANG_MAN_PARENT_DIR : Absolute path of directory that holds
# Erlang man/man1 directory.
#
# The PEL environment variables are used by Emacs PEL
# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Script
# ------
#
if [ "$DIR_ERLANG_DEV" == "" ]; then
export DIR_ERLANG_DEV="$HOME/dev/erlang"
export PEL_ERLANG_MAN_PARENT_DIR="$HOME/docs/Erlang/otp-23.0"
if [ "$MAN_ONLY_ERLANG" == "" ]; then
MANPATH=$PEL_ERLANG_MAN_PARENT_DIR/man:`manpath`
else
MANPATH=$PEL_ERLANG_MAN_PARENT_DIR/man
fi
if [ -f "$HOME/docs/Erlang/otp-23.0/man/whatis" ]; then
export PEL_ERLANG_VERSION=23.0.2
export MANPATH
echo "+ Erlang 23.0.2 (built with Kerl/native Clang) environment set."
echo "+ Using OTP-23 Man pages."
echo "Use kerl_deactivate to deactivate it."
settitle "Erlang 23.0.2 Kerl/Native"
source ~/bin/erls/23.0.2/activate
else
echo "Error: missing: $HOME/docs/Erlang/otp-23.0/man/whatis"
echo "Execute make-local-whatis $HOME/docs/Erlang/otp-23.0/man"
echo " then try again."
echo "Reason: The whatis file is needed to use whatis on Erlang man files."
echo " Also Emacs uses it for man auto-completion."
return 1
fi
else
echo "! Erlang environment was already set for this shell."
fi
# -----------------------------------------------------------------------------For 23.0.2 the Man pages were not part of the build, so the script sets up
MANPATH to use the manually downloaded version of the OTP-23 man pages.
And the .bashrc aliases I have for Erlang built with Kerl and macOS native
compiler tool chain:
# Kerl-built Erlang versions
# - built with macOS native Clang
alias use-erlang-23-kn='source envfor-erlang-23-kn'
alias use-erlang-22-kn='source envfor-erlang-22-kn'
alias use-erlang-19-kn='source envfor-erlang-19-kn'Then I can use the shell:
Last login: Sat Jul 4 19:25:43 on ttys016
> use-erlang-23-kn
+ Erlang 23.0.2 (built with Kerl/native Clang) environment set.
+ Using OTP-23 Man pages.
Use kerl_deactivate to deactivate it.
> which erl
/Users/roup/bin/erls/23.0.2/bin/erl
> version-erl
23.0.2
> man -w erl
/Users/roup/docs/Erlang/otp-23.0/man/man/man1/erl.1
> man -w lists
/Users/roup/docs/Erlang/otp-23.0/man/man/man3/lists.3
> erl
Erlang/OTP 23 [erts-11.0.2] [source] [64-bit] [smp:8:8] [ds:8:8:10] [async-threads:1] [hipe] [dtrace]
Eshell V11.0.2 (abort with ^G)
1> q().
ok
2> >
>