[bug #68564] support cross-compilation

--8323329-1714636915-1785007097=:357463
Content-Type: TEXT/plain; CHARSET=utf-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding: QUOTED-PRINTABLE
Content-Disposition: inline

URL:=0A  <https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?68564>=0A=0A                 Summa=
ry: support cross-compilation=0A                   Group: GNU roff=0A      =
         Submitter: gbranden=0A               Submitted: Sat 25 Jul 2026 07=
:18:11 PM UTC=0A                Category: General=0A                Severit=
y: 1 - Wish=0A              Item Group: Build/Installation=0A              =
    Status: None=0A                 Privacy: Public=0A             Assigned=
 to: None=0A             Open/Closed: Open=0A         Discussion Lock: Unlo=
cked=0A         Planned Release: None=0A=0A=0A    _________________________=
______________________________=0A=0AFollow-up Comments:=0A=0A=0A-----------=
--------------------------------------------=0ADate: Sat 25 Jul 2026 07:18:=
11 PM UTC By: G. Branden Robinson <gbranden>=0A[https://lists.gnu.org/archi=
ve/html/groff/2026-07/msg00018.html Phong wrote]:=0A=0A=0ASpeaking of cross=
 compilation, it has been broken since at most 1.24=0Aas pdfmom used to bui=
ld doc/automake.pdf uses test-groff=0Ainstead of GROFFBIN, I think:=0A=0A  =
  $ make GROFF_BIN_PATH=3D... GROFFBIN=3D.../bin/groff=0A    ...=0A      GR=
OFF    doc/automake.pdf=0A    sh: line 1: test-groff: command not found=0A =
   pdfmom: fatal error: test-groff exited with status 127=0A    make[2]: **=
* [Makefile:19211: doc/automake.pdf] Error 1=0A    ...=0A    $ grep -r -B1 =
-A3 GROFF_COMMAND=3Dtest-groff=0A    contrib/mom/mom.am-MOMPDFMOM =3D \=0A =
   contrib/mom/mom.am:  GROFF_COMMAND=3Dtest-groff \=0A    contrib/mom/mom.=
am-  GROFF_COMMAND_PREFIX=3D \=0A    contrib/mom/mom.am-  GROFF_BIN_PATH=3D=
"$(GROFF_BIN_PATH)" \=0A    contrib/mom/mom.am-  $(PDFMOMBIN) $(FFLAG) $(MF=
LAG) -M$(mom_srcdir) -K=0Autf8 =0A-p -e -t \=0A    --=0A    doc/doc.am-DOC_=
PDFMOM =3D \=0A    doc/doc.am:  GROFF_COMMAND=3Dtest-groff \=0A    doc/doc.=
am-  GROFF_COMMAND_PREFIX=3D \=0A    doc/doc.am-  GROFF_BIN_PATH=3D"$(GROFF=
_BIN_PATH)" \=0A    doc/doc.am-  $(PDFMOMBIN) $(MFLAG) $(FFLAG) -ww -b $(pd=
fmomoption) --roff=0A=0A=0A[https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/groff/2026-0=
7/msg00019.html I replied]:=0A=0A=0AYes.  Unfortunately the more places we =
interpose pdfmom in front of=0Agroff, the more problems like this we have.=
=0A=0ABut if you're going to have forward references, there seems to be no=
=0Aalternative at present.  It's not even a new problem; see mmroff(1).=0A=
=0A...=0A=0Apdfmom(1) is growing increasingly poorly named in any event; it=
 need not=0Aformat a mom(7) document, and the problem of forward references=
 does not=0Auniquely afflict PDF generation, either.=0A=0AMaybe we should r=
econsider the tool's scope and purpose, rename it, say,=0A"regroff", and su=
pply a "test-regroff" script, generated at=0Aconfiguration time as "test-gr=
off" is.=0A=0A(Once upon a time, Bjarni lobbied for a "test-nroff" script, =
but found=0Ano one to second his motion.)=0A=0AI'd like to avoid doing what=
 TeX does (or what its usual front-end=0Adoes), and do what appears to be m=
ulti-pass formatting even when it's=0Anot necessary.  Or maybe it _doesn't_=
 apply multiple passes=0Aunnecessarily, but its ordinary operation is so ga=
rrulous that I=0Astruggle to tell the difference.=0A=0AIn the short term, i=
f "automake.mom" doesn't actually need multi-pass=0Aformatting, then we sho=
uld move it back to `GROFFBIN`.  I don't see any=0Aforward references; the =
relocated table of contents in the PDF rendering=0Adoesn't count, because t=
hat's achieved by PDF-level page resequencing=0Amagic.=0A=0A=0AUpdating "au=
tomake.pdf" generation might be low-hanging fruit we can do for=0A_groff_ 1=
.25.0.=0A=0A=0A=0A=0A=0A=0A=0A    _________________________________________=
______________=0A=0AReply to this item at:=0A=0A  <https://savannah.gnu.org=
/bugs/?68564>=0A=0A_______________________________________________=0AMessag=
e sent via Savannah=0Ahttps://savannah.gnu.org/=0A
--8323329-1714636915-1785007097=:357463
Content-Type: APPLICATION/pgp-signature; name=signature.asc

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----

iHUEABYIAB0WIQQk97aszIMMAvLLwm6qLAuaBUf3TgUCamUL+QAKCRCqLAuaBUf3
ToyXAQDOm/vwQ0sN34ei9anctbJz153wJpKPf9sz5dRdhWY1FQD+PFAZS8iKuFXW
9HLrd1OFa5p8g+CzierjqDBh49uLCAo=
=kTx2
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

--8323329-1714636915-1785007097=:357463--