[New-bugs-announce] [issue44909] configure should pick /usr/bin/g++ automatically if present

[Paul Menzel]

New submission from Paul Menzel <pmenzel+bugs.python.org at molgen.mpg.de>:

[copied from closed (out of date) issue https://bugs.python.org/issue25946]

Reproduced with Python 3.9.6.

./configure` both prints `checking for g++... no` and 

    WARNING:
    
      By default, distutils will build C++ extension modules with "g++".
      If this is not intended, then set CXX on the configure command line.

if `/usr/bin/g++` is present and executable which doesn't seem to be constructive because it's quite common that one wants to use `/usr/bin/g++` as CXX compiler if available. In case incompatibilities exists with other C++ compilers there should a check and more detailed error message.

Furthermore the error message doesn't explain if a part of distutils won't be build because the message sounds like the C++ extension is built, but does it work without a C++ compiler?

Specifying `CXX` environment variable or `--with-cxx-main=/usr/bin/g++` `configure` option works fine.

----------
components: Build
messages: 399497
nosy: iritkatriel, krichter, pmenzel
priority: normal
severity: normal
status: open
title: configure should pick /usr/bin/g++ automatically if present
versions: Python 3.9

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Python tracker <report at bugs.python.org>
<https://bugs.python.org/issue44909>
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