Compiling GAP with XCode 5

The compiler introduced with XCode 5 (this is the version one must use when running OSX 10.9, Mavericks) has problems to compile GAP as-is. The following steps seem to resolve this isssue for GAP 4.6. (I have not tried older versions.)

  1. Start the compilation as normal, i.e. call configure and then make. You will run into errors.
  2. Now edit the file bin/x86_64-apple-darwin13.0.0-gcc-default64/config.h of your GAP installation: Add a line
    #define HAVE_STRLCAT 1
    
    to this file.
  3. Replace the file src/vec8bit.c with this version: vec8bit.c. (This file is taken from the next release, but should work with GAP 4.6 as well).
  4. Issue the commands
    touch src/*.c
    
    and then
    make
    
    to force recompilation of GAP. You will get a number of warnings (for example about something called PIE), but the binary should work. (Let me know if it does not.)

Alexander Hulpke (hulpke@math.colostate.edu)