[cocci] Pre-compiled spatch links against EOL PCRE version

[cocci] Pre-compiled spatch links against EOL PCRE version

[Manuel Wiesinger]

Hello everyone,

The pre-compiled binary provided on the Download page [1] links against
libpcre.so.3. This library is unmaintained by upstream [2] and not
available on recent distributions, including Debian 13 [3], RHEL 10 and
Arch Linux.

I have been using spatch linked against PCRE2 (/usr/lib/libpcre.so.1)
extensively for days without any issues on Arch Linux.

[1] https://coccinelle.gitlabpages.inria.fr/website/distrib/coccinelle-1.3.1-bin-x86.tar.gz
[2] https://www.pcre.org/ (See Versions)
[3] https://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2021/11/msg00176.html

Take care,
Manuel

Re: [cocci] Pre-compiled spatch links against EOL PCRE version

[Victor Gambier]

Hi Manuel,

Thanks for the report. You're right, we should move to PCRE2.

Olaf Hering suggested a patch earlier this year to do just this and I 
forgot about it until now. I'll work on reviewing and merging it.

Victor

On 12/15/25 15:43, Manuel Wiesinger wrote:
> Hello everyone,
>
> The pre-compiled binary provided on the Download page [1] links against
> libpcre.so.3. This library is unmaintained by upstream [2] and not
> available on recent distributions, including Debian 13 [3], RHEL 10 and
> Arch Linux.
>
> I have been using spatch linked against PCRE2 (/usr/lib/libpcre.so.1)
> extensively for days without any issues on Arch Linux.
>
> [1] https://coccinelle.gitlabpages.inria.fr/website/distrib/coccinelle-1.3.1-bin-x86.tar.gz
> [2] https://www.pcre.org/ (See Versions)
> [3] https://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2021/11/msg00176.html
>
> Take care,
> Manuel

Re: [cocci] Pre-compiled spatch links against EOL PCRE version

[Markus Elfring]

> You're right, we should move to PCRE2.

We are waiting on further collateral evolution.


> Olaf Hering suggested a patch earlier this year to do just this

Adjustment possibilities were demonstrated.


> and I forgot about it until now.

How could this happen?


> I'll work on reviewing and merging it.

Will development interests grow also for extending corresponding
software build configuration parameters?

Regards,
Markus

Re: [cocci] Pre-compiled spatch links against EOL PCRE version

[Victor Gambier]

Hello,

Work on PCRE2 has been completed - I've finished what Olaf's started.

The patch is on master (b231de0db). Feel free to send feedback if you 
notice any issues once this becomes a release.

Victor

On 12/16/25 15:35, Victor Gambier wrote:
> Hi Manuel,
>
> Thanks for the report. You're right, we should move to PCRE2.
>
> Olaf Hering suggested a patch earlier this year to do just this and I 
> forgot about it until now. I'll work on reviewing and merging it.
>
> Victor
>
> On 12/15/25 15:43, Manuel Wiesinger wrote:
>> Hello everyone,
>>
>> The pre-compiled binary provided on the Download page [1] links against
>> libpcre.so.3. This library is unmaintained by upstream [2] and not
>> available on recent distributions, including Debian 13 [3], RHEL 10 and
>> Arch Linux.
>>
>> I have been using spatch linked against PCRE2 (/usr/lib/libpcre.so.1)
>> extensively for days without any issues on Arch Linux.
>>
>> [1] 
>> https://coccinelle.gitlabpages.inria.fr/website/distrib/coccinelle-1.3.1-bin-x86.tar.gz
>> [2] https://www.pcre.org/ (See Versions)
>> [3] https://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2021/11/msg00176.html
>>
>> Take care,
>> Manuel

Re: [cocci] Pre-compiled spatch links against EOL PCRE version

[Markus Elfring]

> Work on PCRE2 has been completed - I've finished what Olaf's started.
> 
> The patch is on master (b231de0db). Feel free to send feedback if you notice any issues once this becomes a release.

Thanks for another remarkable software development progress.

Unfortunately, I would miss further improvements for the software build system so far.
https://gitlab.inria.fr/coccinelle/coccinelle/-/commit/b231de0db3f9513f6ea936caea5428fe627af1b9

I tried also to influence corresponding adjustments somehow.
Will development interests grow accordingly?

Regards,
Markus

Re: [cocci] Pre-compiled spatch links against EOL PCRE version

[Julia Lawall]

On Wed, 21 Jan 2026, Markus Elfring wrote:

> > Work on PCRE2 has been completed - I've finished what Olaf's started.
> >
> > The patch is on master (b231de0db). Feel free to send feedback if you notice any issues once this becomes a release.
>
> Thanks for another remarkable software development progress.
>
> Unfortunately, I would miss further improvements for the software build system so far.
> https://gitlab.inria.fr/coccinelle/coccinelle/-/commit/b231de0db3f9513f6ea936caea5428fe627af1b9
>
> I tried also to influence corresponding adjustments somehow.
> Will development interests grow accordingly?

If you want something to change, could you please explain what should
change, or better yet provide a patch?  "miss further improvements" gives
no information about what should be done.

julia

Re: [cocci] Evolution for the software build system?

[Markus Elfring]

>> Unfortunately, I would miss further improvements for the software build system so far.
>> https://gitlab.inria.fr/coccinelle/coccinelle/-/commit/b231de0db3f9513f6ea936caea5428fe627af1b9
>>
>> I tried also to influence corresponding adjustments somehow.
>> Will development interests grow accordingly?
> 
> If you want something to change, could you please explain what should
> change, or better yet provide a patch?

I pointed remaining update candidates out.

I presented some patches before.

I would appreciate if corresponding development discussions can become
more constructive again.


>                                         "miss further improvements" gives
> no information about what should be done.

Please take another look at previous clarification approaches.
Would you like to offer further answers to remaining open issues?

Regards,
Markus

Re: [cocci] Evolution for the software build system?

[Julia Lawall]

On Wed, 21 Jan 2026, Markus Elfring wrote:

> >> Unfortunately, I would miss further improvements for the software build system so far.
> >> https://gitlab.inria.fr/coccinelle/coccinelle/-/commit/b231de0db3f9513f6ea936caea5428fe627af1b9
> >>
> >> I tried also to influence corresponding adjustments somehow.
> >> Will development interests grow accordingly?
> >
> > If you want something to change, could you please explain what should
> > change, or better yet provide a patch?
>
> I pointed remaining update candidates out.

Where?  You sent to a link to a commit by Victor.  What should we do with
that information?

> I presented some patches before.

Where?  Why don't you send a link to that?

julia

>
> I would appreciate if corresponding development discussions can become
> more constructive again.
>
>
> >                                         "miss further improvements" gives
> > no information about what should be done.
>
> Please take another look at previous clarification approaches.
> Would you like to offer further answers to remaining open issues?
>
> Regards,
> Markus
>

Re: [cocci] Evolution for the software build system?

[Markus Elfring]

>>>> Unfortunately, I would miss further improvements for the software build system so far.
>>>> https://gitlab.inria.fr/coccinelle/coccinelle/-/commit/b231de0db3f9513f6ea936caea5428fe627af1b9
>>>>
>>>> I tried also to influence corresponding adjustments somehow.
>>>> Will development interests grow accordingly?
>>>
>>> If you want something to change, could you please explain what should
>>> change, or better yet provide a patch?
>>
>> I pointed remaining update candidates out.
> 
> Where?  You sent to a link to a commit by Victor.  What should we do with
> that information?

The information “configure.ac: use pcre2-ocaml/lib folder to reflect new bundle structure”
is provided there.
A desirable change description was omitted (or overlooked) once more.

Some files were adjusted recently.



>> I presented some patches before.
> 
> Where?  Why don't you send a link to that?

You know corresponding issue tracking interfaces.

* https://github.com/coccinelle/coccinelle/issues

* https://lore.kernel.org/cocci/
  https://sympa.inria.fr/sympa/arc/cocci/


Would you find any technical details from the previously discussed topic
“Data processing challenges by build requirements” still relevant?

Regards,
Markus

Re: [cocci] Evolution for the software build system?

[Markus Elfring]

> Where?  Why don't you send a link to that?

You probably know ways for distinguishing package sources
for involved software components, don't you?

How do you think about to support parallel system configurations accordingly?


Can we benefit any more from related information sources?

* Choosing Package Options
  https://www.gnu.org/savannah-checkouts/gnu/autoconf/manual/autoconf-2.72/html_node/Package-Options.html

* Configuration and Cache Variables
  https://cmake.org/cmake/help/v4.2/guide/tutorial/Configuration%20and%20Cache%20Variables.html

* Arbitrary variables from dependencies that can be found multiple ways
  https://mesonbuild.com/Dependencies.html#arbitrary-variables-from-dependencies-that-can-be-found-multiple-ways

* Managing Dependencies With opam
  https://ocaml.org/docs/managing-dependencies


Regards,
Markus

Re: [cocci] Improving software build systems?

[Markus Elfring]

> The patch is on master (b231de0db). Feel free to send feedback if you notice any issues …

https://github.com/coccinelle/coccinelle/issues/

Do developers dare to improve the build system also for this software?

Regards,
Markus