MySQL Bugs: #30954: "configure" script in binary distributions considered harmfull

Bug #30954	"configure" script in binary distributions considered harmfull
Submitted:	11 Sep 2007 14:36	Modified:	18 Dec 2009 11:46
Reporter:	Hartmut Holzgraefe	Email Updates:
Status:	Closed	Impact on me:	None
Category:	MySQL Server: Packaging	Severity:	S3 (Non-critical)
Version:	5.0.45	OS:	Any
Assigned to:	Jonathan Perkin	CPU Architecture:	Any

Description:
The configure script bundled with our binary packes does 
something completely different to what you'd usually expect 
from a configure file.

#1 - it initializes and starts a local server instance without asking

#2 - it does so even when trying a "configure --help"

Point #1 is something i simply don't like as it violates
the "no surprises" principle. A script like this is usefull
for binary distributions, but IMHO it should be given a different
name like e.g. "quickstart"

Point #2 i consider a bug, "configure --help" should *never*
do anything else besides printing useage information.

How to repeat:
Download a binary releae tarball, unpack it, run the configure script that came with it.

I tried with mysql-5.0.45-linux-i686.tar.gz and mysql-5.0.45-solaris10-sparc.tar.gz ...

Suggested fix:
- make the script parse the --help option
- rename the script to something like "quickstart" or at least have it ask for confirmation after printing its message and before doing anything else

Actual output of "configure" bundled with binary tarballs is:

-bash-3.00$ cd mysql-5.0.45-solaris10-sparc-64bit
-bash-3.00$ ./configure 
NOTE: This is a MySQL binary distribution. It's ready to run, you don't
need to configure it!

To help you a bit, I am now going to create the needed MySQL databases
and start the MySQL server for you.  If you run into any trouble, please
consult the MySQL manual, that you can find in the Docs directory.

Installing MySQL system tables...
OK
Filling help tables...
OK

To start mysqld at boot time you have to copy
support-files/mysql.server to the right place for your system

PLEASE REMEMBER TO SET A PASSWORD FOR THE MySQL root USER !
To do so, start the server, then issue the following commands:
./bin/mysqladmin -u root password 'new-password'
./bin/mysqladmin -u root -h sol10-sparc-c password 'new-password'
See the manual for more instructions.
You can start the MySQL daemon with:
cd . ; ./bin/mysqld_safe &

You can test the MySQL daemon with mysql-test-run.pl
cd mysql-test ; perl mysql-test-run.pl

Please report any problems with the ./bin/mysqlbug script!

The latest information about MySQL is available on the web at
http://www.mysql.com
Support MySQL by buying support/licenses at http://shop.mysql.com
Starting the mysqld server.  You can test that it is up and running
with the command:
./bin/mysqladmin version

The script is the following:

#!/bin/sh
if test ! -x  ./scripts/mysql_install_db
then
  echo "I didn't find the script './scripts/mysql_install_db'."
  echo "Please execute this script in the mysql distribution directory!"
  exit 1;
fi

echo "NOTE: This is a MySQL binary distribution. It's ready to run, you don't"
echo "need to configure it!"
echo ""
echo "To help you a bit, I am now going to create the needed MySQL databases"
echo "and start the MySQL server for you.  If you run into any trouble, please"
echo "consult the MySQL manual, that you can find in the Docs directory."
echo ""

./scripts/mysql_install_db --no-defaults
if [ $? = 0 ]
then
  echo "Starting the mysqld server.  You can test that it is up and running"
  echo "with the command:"
  echo "./bin/mysqladmin version"
  ./bin/mysqld_safe --no-defaults &
fi

As you can see, nobody checks for --help here :)

A patch for this bug has been committed. After review, it may
be pushed to the relevant source trees for release in the next
version. You can access the patch from:

  http://lists.mysql.com/commits/40839

ChangeSet@1.2590, 2008-01-10 13:24:04+00:00, jperkin@chorlton.adsl.perkin.org.uk +1 -0
  bug#30954: add usage, handle command line options.

For 5.0 I would prefer to be conservative and keep the behaviour/name of the script the same, just adding support for --help as I have done above.

For 5.1+, I plan to:
  a) pull up 5.0 change
  b) rename the script, users will assume "configure" is the GNU autoconf script, leading to confusion
  c) change the default behaviour to output what the script will do, and add a --force or -y option to get it to actually run the commands

A patch for this bug has been committed. After review, it may
be pushed to the relevant source trees for release in the next
version. You can access the patch from:

  http://lists.mysql.com/commits/40840

ChangeSet@1.2591, 2008-01-10 13:34:41+00:00, jperkin@chorlton.adsl.perkin.org.uk +1 -0
  bug#30954: small shell nit

5.0 change is fine.  I'd like to see the 5.1+ change before approving.

I think that, if the script is renamed to something like 'quickstart', then it's OK to actually perform the actions without a --force flag.

It looks as though the 'make install' changes for make_binary_distribution mean that on 5.1+ this script is already installed as support-files/binary-configure instead of ./configure, so that part has already been resolved, although perhaps not intended!

As for --force, I'm happy to drop that and have the script behave the same on all versions.  Given the limited scope, I think this is fine.

Therefore for 5.1+ I now propose to simply pull up the 5.0 change.

The change to 5.0 is ok (combination of both changesets),
even though I would not use the same exit code (2) for both an expected "usage" (--help) exit and that caused by an erroneous (unexpected) argument.

Regarding 5.1, I don't consider "binary-configure" to be a nice name, but it is not so bad that I want to change it again (less change for the users).

So IMO, merging the 5.0 change up is sufficient.

A patch for this bug has been committed. After review, it may
be pushed to the relevant source trees for release in the next
version. You can access the patch from:

  http://lists.mysql.com/commits/45418

ChangeSet@1.2591, 2008-04-15 10:32:50+01:00, jperkin@chorlton.adsl.perkin.org.uk +1 -0
  bug#30954: small shell nit, fix exit code of --help|-h

Fix pushed to mysql-5.0-bugteam => mysql-5.1-bugteam => mysql-pe

Pushed into 5.0.87 (revid:joro@sun.com-20091006073202-rj21ggvo2gw032ks) (version source revid:kristofer.pettersson@sun.com-20090929151855-gvpblm4dnnubypdv) (merge vers: 5.0.87) (pib:11)

Pushed into 5.1.40 (revid:joro@sun.com-20091006073316-lea2cpijh9r6on7c) (version source revid:jperkin@sun.com-20090928163214-2xsegci0rbpfemk7) (merge vers: 5.1.40) (pib:11)

A note has been added to the 5.0.87 and 5.1.40 changelogs: 

In binary installations of MySQL, the supplied <command>configure</command> script would start and configure MySQL, even when request help on the command with the <option>--help</option> command-line option. The name of the tool has changed to <command>configure-binary</command>, and the <option>--help</option>, if provided, will no longer start and install the server.

Pushed into 6.0.14-alpha (revid:alik@sun.com-20091022063126-l0qzirh9xyhp0bpc) (version source revid:alik@sun.com-20091019135554-s1pvptt6i750lfhv) (merge vers: 6.0.14-alpha) (pib:13)

Pushed into 5.5.0-beta (revid:alik@sun.com-20091022060553-znkmxm0g0gm6ckvw) (version source revid:alik@sun.com-20091013094238-g67x6tgdm9a7uik0) (merge vers: 5.5.0-beta) (pib:13)

Changelog entry added to the 6.0.14 and 5.5.0 changelogs: 

In binary installations of MySQL, the supplied <command>configure</command> script would
start and configure MySQL, even when request help on the command with the
<option>--help</option> command-line option. The name of the tool has changed to
<command>configure-binary</command>, and the <option>--help</option>, if provided, will no
longer start and install the server.

Pushed into 5.1.41-ndb-7.1.0 (revid:jonas@mysql.com-20091218102229-64tk47xonu3dv6r6) (version source revid:jonas@mysql.com-20091218095730-26gwjidfsdw45dto) (merge vers: 5.1.41-ndb-7.1.0) (pib:15)

Pushed into 5.1.41-ndb-6.2.19 (revid:jonas@mysql.com-20091218100224-vtzr0fahhsuhjsmt) (version source revid:jonas@mysql.com-20091217101452-qwzyaig50w74xmye) (merge vers: 5.1.41-ndb-6.2.19) (pib:15)

Added entry to 5.1.41-ndb-7.1.0

Pushed into 5.1.41-ndb-6.3.31 (revid:jonas@mysql.com-20091218100616-75d9tek96o6ob6k0) (version source revid:jonas@mysql.com-20091217154335-290no45qdins5bwo) (merge vers: 5.1.41-ndb-6.3.31) (pib:15)

Pushed into 5.1.41-ndb-7.0.11 (revid:jonas@mysql.com-20091218101303-ga32mrnr15jsa606) (version source revid:jonas@mysql.com-20091218064304-ezreonykd9f4kelk) (merge vers: 5.1.41-ndb-7.0.11) (pib:15)

Already documented in 5.1.41