[SOLVED] Lazarus+FPC SVN: FPC version in "About" does not match FPC version

[Hansaplast]

Today I did get the idea to update fpc (3.0.4) and run the fpc version from SVN (3.3.1).
After tinkering for several hours, it kept amazing me that Lazarus just refused to switch FPC version.
Well, that is until I noticed this:

• The FPC version shown in the About box is 3.0.4.
• When compiling a project, the "Messages" window shows "Verbose: Free Pascal Compiler version 3.3.1 [2020/01/08] for x86_64"

(see screenshot)


I'm not a Linux expert, so I could possibly have done something wrong (I followed the steps on this Wiki page for Linux).


Things I've tried and verified:


In "options" the "Compiler executable" is set to "/usr/bin/fpc".
Executing "/usr/bin/fpc" in a shell gives version 3.3.1.

The "fpc source directory" is set to "/usr/share/fpcsrc/$(FPCVER)/".
The directory "/usr/share/fpcsrc/3.3.1/" exists and shows the correct 3.3.1 sources.

In the "version.pas" file in "/usr/share/fpcsrc/3.3.1/compiler/" it shows:

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1.     const
2.        { version string }
3.        version_nr = '3';
4.        release_nr = '3';
5.        patch_nr   = '1';

I was wondering if this is a bug or because I did something wrong ...

[guest65109]

If you use fpc trunk you should also use lazarus trunk. Stable lazarus could have problem parsing the newer fpc trunk's source.

[lucamar]

IIRC, the version shown in the About box is that with which Lazarus itself was compiled, not the one it uses to compile. It just happens that in more "standard" instalations they are both the same.

[Hansaplast]

@lucamar: Thanks - Doh! ... yep that makes sense!


@mr.coll: I'm running Lazarus and FPC from trunk.


Installing FPC from trunk seems far more complicated that I'd hoped it would be. 
Maybe there is an automated way that can be introduced in the future?
(getlazarus.org is not a good option)

[MarkMLl]

IIRC, the version shown in the About box is that with which Lazarus itself was compiled, not the one it uses to compile. It just happens that in more "standard" instalations they are both the same.

Agreed. The other thing to consider is that when switching versions one is still using the same Lazarus per-user state, which can be worked round by careful scripting and the --pcp= command-line option.

I normally set up symlinks for the ppc binary so that a given version of Lazarus can get to a particular compiler version without ambiguity:

Code: [Select]

$ ls -l /usr/local/bin/ppc*
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root staff 12 Nov 21  2018 /usr/local/bin/ppcx64 -> ppcx64-3.0.4
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root staff 31 Nov 21  2018 /usr/local/bin/ppcx64-2.6.4 -> /usr/local/lib/fpc/2.6.4/ppcx64
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root staff 31 Nov 21  2018 /usr/local/bin/ppcx64-3.0.0 -> /usr/local/lib/fpc/3.0.0/ppcx64
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root staff 31 Nov 21  2018 /usr/local/bin/ppcx64-3.0.2 -> /usr/local/lib/fpc/3.0.2/ppcx64
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root staff 31 Nov 21  2018 /usr/local/bin/ppcx64-3.0.4 -> /usr/local/lib/fpc/3.0.4/ppcx64

MarkMLl

[Hansaplast]

Thanks MarkMLI for the tip!


Like I said: the compiler setup from trunk has been quite a pain to get started with (if you're not a very experienced Linux user or know all the ins-and-outs of the fpc compiler setup).

[DonAlfredo]

Shameless self-promotion ...  ... but you might try fpcupdeluxe !

[MarkMLl]

Thanks MarkMLI for the tip!

An even more useful tip is that when setting something like that up, the  ln  (link) command works in the same direction as  cp  (copy). So to set up a symlink (symbolic link) as in my example you do

Code: [Select]

ln -s /usr/local/lib/fpc/3.0.4/ppcx64 /usr/local/bin/ppcx64-3.0.4

and so on. Don't forget the  -s  and if necessary also use  -f  to overwrite an existing link. If in doubt see the manpage.

MarkMLl

[Hansaplast]

Thanks again MarkMLI! 


@DonAlfredo: thanks for the tip. There is absolutely nothing wrong with promoting something that could help! 😊
However; I've ran into issues in the past with fpcupdeluxe, and completely lost what was going on on my (virtual) Linux machine 😞
So I'm weary of using it. Sorry. I do appreciate the work you're doing though.
Maybe I'll give it a try in the future. Thanks again for the tip!

[DonAlfredo]

Maybe I'll give it a try in the future.

The future begins today ... 

[Hansaplast]

Maybe I'll give it a try in the future.

The future begins today ... 

Very true! I'll add it to my New Year's resolutions 

[trev]

I normally set up symlinks for the ppc binary so that a given version of Lazarus can get to a particular compiler version without ambiguity:

Code: [Select]

$ ls -l /usr/local/bin/ppc*
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root staff 12 Nov 21  2018 /usr/local/bin/ppcx64 -> ppcx64-3.0.4
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root staff 31 Nov 21  2018 /usr/local/bin/ppcx64-2.6.4 -> /usr/local/lib/fpc/2.6.4/ppcx64
<etc>


Good idea! Don't forget fpc too - I had all sorts of weird issues when fpc was a 3.0.4 executable but everything else was 3.3.1.

[MarkMLl]

Good idea! Don't forget fpc too - I had all sorts of weird issues when fpc was a 3.0.4 executable but everything else was 3.3.1.

For historical reasons I normally build from source, and move most of the binaries from /usr/local/bin into into /usr/local/bin/fpc.d/3.0.4 and so on. The result of that is that the fpc binary is normally the most recent... I've not had any problem with that combination.

MarkMLl