gyp generates inscrutable error message on winpty.gyp

[rprichard]

When I run gyp on winpty.gyp, it outputs this nonsensical error message:

C:\rprichard\proj\winpty\winpty>..\gyp\gyp winpty.gyp
gyp: Could not automatically locate src directory.  This isa temporary Chromium
feature that will be removed.  Use--depth as a workaround.

I'm speculating, but I think the deal is:

• Chromium's gyp files use a DEPTH variable.
• Somehow, DEPTH needs to be set, and it can be set by hand with a --depth argument.
• That's cumbersome, though, so in 2009, a hack went into gyp to autodetect a DEPTH value by looking for the first source file whose absolute path contains a src component. If it can't find an appropriate DEPTH setting, then gyp aborts, because there's something wrong with your Chromium checkout.

The immediate work-around for this error is to pass --depth with (I think?) any arbitrary value:

..\gyp\gyp winpty.gyp --depth .

It's dumb, but if I add a src directory, then gyp will Just Work. So, maybe I'll reorganize the source tree someday.

It might make sense to look for a gyp alternative, too, especially given that Chromium seems to be switching away from gyp toward gn. Alternatives to gyp include:

• Check in VC project files
• CMake (Could CMake replace the Makefiles? Need to consider MSYS, MSYS2, and Cygwin.)

[rprichard]

It doesn't matter if the C++ source and header files are in a src directory. Only the gyp file matters.