Build fails with "Prelude.chr: bad argument" about containers HOT 11 CLOSED

The file CONTRIBUTING.md also contains some instructions to build via stack, so I guess it also would need an update :)

from containers.

Any particular reason to use GHC 8.4? Is it with Stack?

from containers.

Yes I used stack build on a clone of the current repository. The current stack.yaml uses the lts-12.26 so that's why. I've tried other resolvers though, and it also fails. More recent ones fail with broken dependencies. For instance when using
resolver: ghc-9.6.1
The build fails with broken dependencies :

While constructing the build plan, Stack encountered the following errors:   

       In the dependencies for containers-tests-0:
           QuickCheck needed, but the Stack configuration has no specified
                      version (latest matching version is 2.14.2)
           nothunks needed, but the Stack configuration has no specified
                    version (latest matching version is 0.1.3)
       needed since containers-tests is a build target.

from containers.

Again, this only happens with containers-test, when setting

packages:
- containers

in stack.yaml, everything compiles fine.

from containers.

I would recommend using vanilla cabal when working on containers. Given how outdated is stack.yaml you seem to be the first daring soul to use stack in quite a few years.

Try stack clean?

from containers.

stack clean doesn't change anything. I guess I'll switch to cabal.
Thanks a lot for your quick answers ! :-)

from containers.

The background is that this kind of error usually happens when there are stalled interface files, written by a newer version GHC but read by an old one or vice versa. Usually updating Stack, cleaning .stack-work and using a reasonably recent GHC (e. g., 9.2) solves it, but there might be some complications.

Last time I used Stack with boot libraries, it got somewhat confused and asked me to pin all boot dependencies as extra-deps. This basically limits any added value, and it is easier to use Cabal.

from containers.

@Bodigrim , I don't remember who wanted a stack.yaml. Should we just get rid of it to reduce confusion?

from containers.

Reopening because we don't want stale code that tricks people.

from containers.

Yeah, I think it's better to drop stack.yaml.

from containers.

I'm working on that.

from containers.