python / python/cpython

configure.ac assumes -std=c11 rather than checking it, which causes make failures on old compilers

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build type-bug
Dominant language
Python
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Description

Bug report

Bug description:
Repro

Steps:

  1. Run a container having a gcc that does not support the C11 standard (e.g., gcc 4.4.7)
  2. tar xvJf Python-3.13.2.tar.xz && cd Python-3.13.2
  3. ./configure && make

Expected: configure reports an error like "your compiler doesn't support C11"

Observed: configure succeeds, only for make to fail.

...
configure: creating Makefile
configure:

If you want a release build with all stable optimizations active (PGO, etc),
please run ./configure --enable-optimizations

configure: Your compiler or platform does have a working C11 stdatomic.h. A future version of Python may require stdatomic.h.
sh-4.1# make
gcc -std=gnu99 -pthread -c -fno-strict-overflow -Wsign-compare -DNDEBUG -g -O3 -Wall    -std=c11 -Wextra -Wno-unused-parameter -Wno-missing-field-initializers -Wstrict-prototypes -Werror=implicit-function-declaration -fvisibility=hidden  -I./Include/internal -I./Include/internal/mimalloc  -I. -I./Include    -DPy_BUILD_CORE -o Programs/python.o ./Programs/python.c
cc1: error: unrecognized command line option "-std=c11"
make: *** [Programs/python.o] Error 1
Suggestion

I think this can be fixed by changing configure.ac here:

-    CFLAGS_NODIST="$CFLAGS_NODIST -std=c11"
+    AX_CHECK_COMPILE_FLAG([-std=c11],[
+        CFLAGS_NODIST="$CFLAGS_NODIST -std=c11"
+    ], [
+        AC_MSG_ERROR([Python requires -std=c11 on gcc])
+    ], [-Werror])
Related issues

#91731

CPython versions tested on:

3.12.9, 3.13.2

Operating systems tested on:

Linux

Linked PRs
  • gh-133608

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Research direction

The affected logic is in configure.ac near the referenced line, where -std=c11 is added. Reproduce with GCC 4.4.7 using ./configure && make, then verify that configure reports the unsupported C11 compiler instead of allowing make to fail.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
c
Domain
build-system
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
2/5
Estimated time
1-3 hours
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Clearly specified
Newbie friendliness
25/100

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