'An appropriate version of serf could not be found' due to missing pkg-config

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 Hello,

TL;DR: If you encounter the 'An appropriate version of serf could not be
found' error when running `configure`, *double-check whether `pkg-config`
(pkgconf) is installed on your system. *Install it if it isn't already
(e.g., `apt-get install pkgconf`). AFAIK, there can be other reasons for
this error message, but `pkg-config` is the easiest thing to check first.

I've been playing around with SVN's autoconf-based build system on Ubuntu
today, and I had a hard time understanding why `../subversion/configure
--with-swig-python=no --with-swig-perl=no *--with-serf*` was erroring out
when libserf was clearly installed:
[[[
configure: serf library configuration via pkg-config
checking was serf enabled... no

An appropriate version of serf could not be found, so libsvn_ra_serf
will not be built.  If you want to build libsvn_ra_serf, please
install serf 1.3.4 or newer.

configure: error: Serf was explicitly enabled but an appropriate version
was not found.
]]]

* Changing `--with-serf` to `--with-serf=/usr` helped (thanks for the hint:
https://lists.apache.org/thread/jcrhb01z3kgrzshgs2gnl2bxny33z25y), but this
is more of a workaround than a solution. I was expecting the script to
auto-detect libserf.

* Then I noticed that the `configure` output mentions `pkg-config`, which
wasn't installed on the system. Installing pkgconf resolved the problem.

The output also includes a line "checking for pkg-config... no", so the
script is actually aware that `pkg-config` isn't available. Could the
libserf check report that it couldn't auto-detect libserf because
`pkg-config` is missing?

Hope this helps!

-- 
With best regards,
Pavel Lyalyakin

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<div dir=3D"ltr"><div>
<div>Hello,</div><div><br></div><div>
TL;DR: If you encounter the &#39;An appropriate version of serf could not b=
e found&#39; error when running `configure`, <b>double-check whether `pkg-c=
onfig` (pkgconf) is installed on your system. </b>Install
 it if it isn&#39;t already (e.g., `apt-get install pkgconf`). AFAIK, there=
=20
can be other reasons for this error message, but `pkg-config` is the=20
easiest thing to check first.</div><div><br></div><div>I&#39;ve been playin=
g
 around with SVN&#39;s autoconf-based build system on Ubuntu today, and I=
=20
had a hard time understanding why `../subversion/configure=20
--with-swig-python=3Dno --with-swig-perl=3Dno <b>--with-serf</b>` was error=
ing out when libserf was clearly installed:</div><div>
<div>[[[</div><div>configure: serf library configuration via pkg-config<br>=
checking was serf enabled... no<br><br>An appropriate version of serf could=
 not be found, so libsvn_ra_serf<br>will not be built.=C2=A0 If you want to=
 build libsvn_ra_serf, please<br>install serf 1.3.4 or newer.<br><br>config=
ure: error: Serf was explicitly enabled but an appropriate version was not =
found.</div><div>]]]</div>

<br></div><div>*=C2=A0Changing `--with-serf` to `--with-serf=3D/usr` helped=
 (thanks for the hint: <a href=3D"https://lists.apache.org/thread/jcrhb01z3=
kgrzshgs2gnl2bxny33z25y" target=3D"_blank">https://lists.apache.org/thread/=
jcrhb01z3kgrzshgs2gnl2bxny33z25y</a>), but this is more of a workaround tha=
n a solution. I was expecting the script to auto-detect libserf.</div><div>=
<br></div><div>*
 Then I noticed that the `configure` output mentions `pkg-config`, which
 wasn&#39;t installed on the system. Installing pkgconf resolved the=20
problem.</div><div><br></div><div>The output also includes a line=20
&quot;checking for pkg-config... no&quot;, so the script is actually aware =
that=20
`pkg-config` isn&#39;t available. Could the libserf check report that it=20
couldn&#39;t auto-detect libserf because `pkg-config` is missing?</div><div=
><br></div><div>Hope this helps!</div>

<br clear=3D"all"></div><span class=3D"gmail_signature_prefix">-- </span><b=
r><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_signature" data-smartmail=3D"gmail_signat=
ure"><font color=3D"#888888">With best regards,<br>
Pavel Lyalyakin</font></div></div>

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