Gecko build failed error : Could not find autoconf 2.13., but autoconf already installed

Question

I am trying to build Gecko Code, Which I have clone from Github : git clone https://github.com/mozilla/gecko-dev.git

and I am getting autoconf 2.13 not found error, Which already installed in my Mac Machine:

Tom-Swayer:gecko-dev vmishra$ autoconf --version
Autoconf version 2.13
Tom-Swayer:gecko-dev vmishra$ sudo make build
Password:
./mach build
 0:00.33 /usr/bin/make -f client.mk -s MOZ_PARALLEL_BUILD=9 -s
 0:01.86 Adding client.mk options from /Users/vmishra/Desktop/gecko-dev/.mozconfig:
 0:01.86     AUTOCLOBBER=1
 0:01.86     export MOZ_AUTOMATION_BUILD_SYMBOLS=1
 0:01.86     export MOZ_AUTOMATION_L10N_CHECK=1
 0:01.86     export MOZ_AUTOMATION_PACKAGE=1
 0:01.86     export MOZ_AUTOMATION_PACKAGE_TESTS=1
 0:01.86     export MOZ_AUTOMATION_INSTALLER=0
 0:01.86     export MOZ_AUTOMATION_UPDATE_PACKAGING=0
 0:01.86     export MOZ_AUTOMATION_UPLOAD=1
 0:01.86     export MOZ_AUTOMATION_UPLOAD_SYMBOLS=0
 0:01.86     export MOZ_AUTOMATION_SDK=0
 0:01.86     MOZ_MAKE_FLAGS=-j9 -s
 0:01.86     MOZ_OBJDIR=/Users/vmishra/Desktop/gecko-dev/VM-Gecko-build
 0:01.86     OBJDIR=/Users/vmishra/Desktop/gecko-dev/VM-Gecko-build
 0:01.86     FOUND_MOZCONFIG=/Users/vmishra/Desktop/gecko-dev/.mozconfig
 0:01.88 /Users/vmishra/Desktop/gecko-dev/client.mk:299: *** Could not find autoconf 2.13.  Stop.
 0:01.88 make[1]: *** [build] Error 2
 0:01.93 0 compiler warnings present.
make: *** [build] Error 2
Tom-Swayer:gecko-dev vmishra$ 

Please help me, and tell me the solution.

Sylvie

Answer 1

Mozilla's build system looks for the autoconf 2.13 executable at "autoconf213", which is why it can't find your installation of autoconf 2.13 at "autoconf".

You could fix the problem by symlinking one to the other, but I recommend following Mozilla's recommendations in https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Developer_guide/Build_Instructions/Mac_OS_X_Prerequisites to install autoconf and other dependencies, since that'll minimize your chances of running into other problems like this one.

Specifically, to install autoconf 2.13, that document recommends first installing Homebrew (if you don't already have it) per https://brew.sh/, which is currently:

/usr/bin/ruby -e "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install)"

Then install autoconf213 via:

brew install [email protected]

Alternately, the Mozilla source has a Python script that'll help install this dependency (and others):

./mach bootstrap

Hydrothermal

See the answer below for a 2019 version of this; homebrew has changed version handling. – Furfuran

Thanks, @DarianMoody, I've updated my answer accordingly! – Hydrothermal

Answer 2

Came across this same problem today when trying to do a full build of Firefox.

    brew install autoconf213

no longer does it, instead:

    brew install [email protected] 

was successful.

Jonell

Answer 3

on linux this works

sudo apt-get install autoconf  # previously called autoconf2.13 

Anthiathia

For me it needed an additional sudo ln -s /usr/bin/autoconf2.13 /usr/local/bin/autoconf213 because the original file name contains a dot – Decorator

In my case, install autoconfigure2.13 first, sudo apt-get install [email protected] – Eachern