Paraview-superbuild build fails on MacOS

Development
1

Hi,

I am trying to build and install paraview with the superbuild procedure on a MacOS. When “ENABLE_QT5” is on, it unable to build successfully. The following error is obtained:

[ 67%] Building CXX object VTK/Rendering/Volume/CMakeFiles/vtkRenderingVolume.dir/vtkVolumeMapper.cxx.o
[ 67%] Building CXX object VTK/Rendering/Volume/CMakeFiles/vtkRenderingVolume.dir/vtkVolumeOutlineSource.cxx.o
[ 67%] Building CXX object VTK/Rendering/Volume/CMakeFiles/vtkRenderingVolume.dir/vtkVolumePicker.cxx.o
[ 67%] Building CXX object VTK/Rendering/Volume/CMakeFiles/vtkRenderingVolume.dir/vtkVolumeRayCastSpaceLeapingImageFilter.cxx.o
[ 67%] Linking CXX shared library …/…/…/lib/libvtkRenderingVolume-pv5.6.dylib
[ 67%] Built target vtkRenderingVolume

make[3]: *** [all] Error 2

CMake Error at /Library/paraview-superbuild-build/superbuild/sb-paraview-build.cmake:47 (message):

Failed with exit code 2

make[2]: *** [superbuild/paraview/stamp/paraview-build] Error 1

make[1]: *** [superbuild/CMakeFiles/paraview.dir/all] Error 2

make: *** [all] Error 2

How can I approach to fix this or is this a bug specific to MacOS?

Please note that when I build with “ENABLE_QT5” as off, it builds successfully. However, the “make install” fails due to the following error:

[ 44%] Built target paraview
[ 88%] Built target cxx11
[100%] Built target cxx11_check
Install the project…

– Install configuration: “Release”

CTEST_FULL_OUTPUT

CMake Error at /Library/paraview-superbuild/projects/paraview.bundle.common.cmake:99 (file):

file STRINGS file

“/Library/paraview-superbuild-build/install/Applications/paraview.app/Contents/Plugins/.plugins”

cannot be read.

Call Stack (most recent call first):

/Library/paraview-superbuild/projects/apple/paraview.bundle.cmake:6 (include)

CMakeLists.txt:41 (include)

CMake Error at /Library/paraview-superbuild/projects/apple/paraview.bundle.cmake:9 (message):

Creating the Apple package without the GUI is not supported.

Call Stack (most recent call first):

CMakeLists.txt:41 (include)

– Configuring incomplete, errors occurred!

See also “/Library/paraview-superbuild-build/cpack/paraview/DragNDrop/install/CMakeFiles/CMakeOutput.log”.

CMake Error at superbuild/cmake_install.cmake:46 (message):

Failed to configure the paraview/DragNDrop package.

Call Stack (most recent call first):

cmake_install.cmake:37 (include)

make: *** [install] Error 1

I am looking forward to your inputs.

Best regards,
Sabyasachi
Reliable and Robust Design lab,
KU Leuven Belgium​

2

the error message you posted doesn’t include the real error. Since the build is parallel, the output can be a tad confusing and can mask the real error. Do the following instead: in your superbuild’s build directory, navigate to ./superbuild/paraview/build/ directory and them type make. That should now fail with the real error message. Once you have it, post it and we can see what’s going on.

3

Dear Utkarsh,

Thanks for following up. I did what you suggested and this is the real error message i get now:

[ 14%] Built target vtkIOLegacyHierarchy
[ 15%] Built target vtkIOLegacy
[ 15%] Built target vtkexpat
[ 15%] Built target vtkIOXMLParserHierarchy
[ 15%] Built target vtkIOXMLParser
[ 15%] Built target vtkDomainsChemistryHierarchy
[ 16%] Built target vtkDomainsChemistry
[ 16%] Built target vtkglew
[ 16%] Built target vtkRenderingOpenGL2Hierarchy
[ 16%] Building CXX object VTK/Rendering/OpenGL2/CMakeFiles/vtkRenderingOpenGL2.dir/vtkCocoaRenderWindowInteractor.mm.o

In file included from /Library/paraview-superbuild-build/superbuild/paraview/src/VTK/Rendering/OpenGL2/vtkCocoaRenderWindowInteractor.mm:16:

In file included from /System/Library/Frameworks/Cocoa.framework/Headers/Cocoa.h:12:

In file included from /System/Library/Frameworks/Foundation.framework/Headers/Foundation.h:10:

In file included from /System/Library/Frameworks/Foundation.framework/Headers/NSArray.h:5:

/System/Library/Frameworks/Foundation.framework/Headers/NSObject.h:44:12: error: unknown property attribute 'class’

@property (class, readonly) BOOL supportsSecureCoding;

^

In file included from /Library/paraview-superbuild-build/superbuild/paraview/src/VTK/Rendering/OpenGL2/vtkCocoaRenderWindowInteractor.mm:16:

In file included from /System/Library/Frameworks/Cocoa.framework/Headers/Cocoa.h:12:

In file included from /System/Library/Frameworks/Foundation.framework/Headers/Foundation.h:12:

In file included from /System/Library/Frameworks/Foundation.framework/Headers/NSBundle.h:6:

/System/Library/Frameworks/Foundation.framework/Headers/NSString.h:262:12: error: unknown property attribute 'class’

@property (class, readonly) const NSStringEncoding *availableStringEncodings;

^

/System/Library/Frameworks/Foundation.framework/Headers/NSString.h:269:12: error: unknown property attribute 'class’

@property (class, readonly) NSStringEncoding defaultCStringEncoding; // Should be rarely used

^

In file included from /Library/paraview-superbuild-build/superbuild/paraview/src/VTK/Rendering/OpenGL2/vtkCocoaRenderWindowInteractor.mm:16:

In file included from /System/Library/Frameworks/Cocoa.framework/Headers/Cocoa.h:12:

In file included from /System/Library/Frameworks/Foundation.framework/Headers/Foundation.h:12:

In file included from /System/Library/Frameworks/Foundation.framework/Headers/NSBundle.h:11:

/System/Library/Frameworks/Foundation.framework/Headers/NSNotification.h:45:12: error: unknown property attribute 'class’

@property (class, readonly, strong) NSNotificationCenter *defaultCenter;

^

In file included from /Library/paraview-superbuild-build/superbuild/paraview/src/VTK/Rendering/OpenGL2/vtkCocoaRenderWindowInteractor.mm:16:

In file included from /System/Library/Frameworks/Cocoa.framework/Headers/Cocoa.h:12:

In file included from /System/Library/Frameworks/Foundation.framework/Headers/Foundation.h:12:

/System/Library/Frameworks/Foundation.framework/Headers/NSBundle.h:33:12: error: unknown property attribute 'class’

@property (class, readonly, strong) NSBundle *mainBundle;

^

/System/Library/Frameworks/Foundation.framework/Headers/NSBundle.h:46:12: error: unknown property attribute 'class’

@property (class, readonly, copy) NSArray<NSBundle *> *allBundles;

^

/System/Library/Frameworks/Foundation.framework/Headers/NSBundle.h:47:12: error: unknown property attribute 'class’

@property (class, readonly, copy) NSArray<NSBundle *> *allFrameworks;

^

In file included from /Library/paraview-superbuild-build/superbuild/paraview/src/VTK/Rendering/OpenGL2/vtkCocoaRenderWindowInteractor.mm:16:

In file included from /System/Library/Frameworks/Cocoa.framework/Headers/Cocoa.h:12:

In file included from /System/Library/Frameworks/Foundation.framework/Headers/Foundation.h:14:

In file included from /System/Library/Frameworks/Foundation.framework/Headers/NSCalendar.h:7:

/System/Library/Frameworks/Foundation.framework/Headers/NSDate.h:46:12: error: unknown property attribute 'class’

@property (class, readonly) NSTimeInterval timeIntervalSinceReferenceDate;

^

/System/Library/Frameworks/Foundation.framework/Headers/NSDate.h:60:12: error: unknown property attribute 'class’

@property (class, readonly, copy) NSDate *distantFuture;

^

/System/Library/Frameworks/Foundation.framework/Headers/NSDate.h:61:12: error: unknown property attribute 'class’

@property (class, readonly, copy) NSDate *distantPast;

^

In file included from /Library/paraview-superbuild-build/superbuild/paraview/src/VTK/Rendering/OpenGL2/vtkCocoaRenderWindowInteractor.mm:16:

In file included from /System/Library/Frameworks/Cocoa.framework/Headers/Cocoa.h:12:

In file included from /System/Library/Frameworks/Foundation.framework/Headers/Foundation.h:14:

/System/Library/Frameworks/Foundation.framework/Headers/NSCalendar.h:108:12: error: unknown property attribute 'class’

@property (class, readonly, copy) NSCalendar *currentCalendar; // user’s preferred calendar

^

/System/Library/Frameworks/Foundation.framework/Headers/NSCalendar.h:109:12: error: unknown property attribute 'class’

@property (class, readonly, strong) NSCalendar *autoupdatingCurrentCalendar NS_AVAILABLE(10_5, 2_0); // tracks changes to user’s preferred calend…

^

In file included from /Library/paraview-superbuild-build/superbuild/paraview/src/VTK/Rendering/OpenGL2/vtkCocoaRenderWindowInteractor.mm:16:

In file included from /System/Library/Frameworks/Cocoa.framework/Headers/Cocoa.h:12:

In file included from /System/Library/Frameworks/Foundation.framework/Headers/Foundation.h:15:

/System/Library/Frameworks/Foundation.framework/Headers/NSCharacterSet.h:21:22: error: unknown property attribute 'class’

@property (readonly, class, copy) NSCharacterSet *controlCharacterSet;

^

/System/Library/Frameworks/Foundation.framework/Headers/NSCharacterSet.h:22:22: error: unknown property attribute 'class’

@property (readonly, class, copy) NSCharacterSet *whitespaceCharacterSet;

^

/System/Library/Frameworks/Foundation.framework/Headers/NSCharacterSet.h:23:22: error: unknown property attribute 'class’

@property (readonly, class, copy) NSCharacterSet *whitespaceAndNewlineCharacterSet;

^

/System/Library/Frameworks/Foundation.framework/Headers/NSCharacterSet.h:24:22: error: unknown property attribute 'class’

@property (readonly, class, copy) NSCharacterSet *decimalDigitCharacterSet;

^

/System/Library/Frameworks/Foundation.framework/Headers/NSCharacterSet.h:25:22: error: unknown property attribute 'class’

@property (readonly, class, copy) NSCharacterSet *letterCharacterSet;

^

/System/Library/Frameworks/Foundation.framework/Headers/NSCharacterSet.h:26:22: error: unknown property attribute 'class’

@property (readonly, class, copy) NSCharacterSet *lowercaseLetterCharacterSet;

^

/System/Library/Frameworks/Foundation.framework/Headers/NSCharacterSet.h:27:22: error: unknown property attribute 'class’

@property (readonly, class, copy) NSCharacterSet *uppercaseLetterCharacterSet;

^

fatal error: too many errors emitted, stopping now [-ferror-limit=]

20 errors generated.

make[2]: *** [VTK/Rendering/OpenGL2/CMakeFiles/vtkRenderingOpenGL2.dir/vtkCocoaRenderWindowInteractor.mm.o] Error 1

make[1]: *** [VTK/Rendering/OpenGL2/CMakeFiles/vtkRenderingOpenGL2.dir/all] Error 2

make: *** [all] Error 2

Please let me know what you think.

Best regards,
Sabyasachi

4

My suspicion is your Xcode is not setup correctly. I am not a Mac person, so someone else with more knowledge here may be able to repond better. From what I can see, you’re literally getting error messages from standard headers e.g. /System/Library/Frameworks/Foundation.framework/Headers/NSCharacterSet.h. Thus, the build environment is not kosher.

Do you have multiple Xcodes or something like that? Make sure the command line tools installed for the Xcode version you’re using and then make sure xcode-select -switch ... is called for the right version.

5

Which macOS and XCode versions are you using?

6

Are you trying to use GCC? I don’t think that works on macOS in general due to GCC not accepting the system headers all the time. Maybe bleeding-edge versions of GCC have been fixed to cope with the situation, but I’m unsure.

7

Hello Utkarsh, Cory and Ben,

Thanks for your input. The problem was indeed with the Xcode of my MacOS and I have resolved it. Thank you for helping with this. Now, I have a quick follow-up query (let me know if I should make a separate thread about this):

I want to use the VisItReader plugin to open Nastran files in ParaView which I otherwise cannot open. To do that, I tried to build the VisItReader plugin example as given in Examples/Plugins/VisItReader. I set this folder as the source folder for CMake, and set a different directory as the plugin build directory. After this, I set the ParaView_DIR to my ParaView build directory. However, the VisIt Reader fails to configure. The following error is rendered by CMake:

The C compiler identification is AppleClang 9.0.0.9000039
The CXX compiler identification is AppleClang 9.0.0.9000039
Check for working C compiler: /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/usr/bin/cc
Check for working C compiler: /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/usr/bin/cc – works
Detecting C compiler ABI info
Detecting C compiler ABI info - done
Detecting C compile features
Detecting C compile features - done
Check for working CXX compiler: /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/usr/bin/c++
Check for working CXX compiler: /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/usr/bin/c++ – works
Detecting CXX compiler ABI info
Detecting CXX compiler ABI info - done
Detecting CXX compile features
Detecting CXX compile features - done
CMake Error at CMakeLists.txt:28 (ADD_VISIT_PLUGIN_READER):
Unknown CMake command “ADD_VISIT_PLUGIN_READER”.

In noticed that this was previous bug which was then resolved, but it is occurring again. How do I solve this problem?

Best regards,
Sabyasachi

8

The VisItReader plugin is a (probably old) example. The vtkIOVisItBridge is the main source for VisIt readers. The superbuild controls it via ENABLE_visitbridge.

9

Thank you Ben. I have this enabled now and it works fine. Have a good week.