build: --without-ssl and --without-intl imply new limitation (no debugger)

[refack]

• Version: > 6
• Platform: All
• Subsystem: inspector, ssl

Since #12197 (i.e. node8) when node is built --without-ssl or --without-intl inspector is not available. As a consequence node is built with no debugger interface. configure does not warn about this (new) consequence.

Since in previous versions these switches did not remove all debugger interface, this is a regression in the build behaviour.

Ref: #12757

[refack]

Marked regression since when node8 is built --without-ssl it will not have any kind of debugger interface. and this a new regressive behaviour for the --without-ssl switch

[refack]

@addaleax correct me if I'm wrong but the debug protocol was independent of the ssl capabilities of the binary, and AFAIK inspect is. Thus, no ssl -> no debugger -> regression.

[addaleax]

@refack Yeah, I see where you’re coming from, but I wouldn’t say it is a regression. This is related to features we’re intentionally adding and removing, there’s just no way we can avoid any incompatibilities.

[refack]

could we build a proxy?

[refack]

I thought about it, and then again, since this is an unintended consequence of the --without-ssl switch, IMHO even a strongly worded warning would solve this issue.

@addaleax you are right in that this not an inspector bug but IMHO it is a build regression.

[sam-github]

Doesn't sound like a bug to me. Lots of stuff disappears when SSL isn't built in (crypto, https, ...). Building without OpenSSL is a fringe build, for special purposes.

[refack]

Doesn't sound like a bug to me. Lots of stuff disappears when SSL isn't built in (crypto, https, ...). Building without OpenSSL is a fringe build, for special purposes.

This is a regression in the build behaviour, since it's a new consequence of a feature that disappears.
My solution was just to require explicitly to configure --without-debugger #12768

[sam-github]

@refack I don't really follow, sorry.

Are you saying that --without-ssl used to build node with the Inspector, and now it doesn't?

Or are you saying that --without-ssl disables the Inspector and leave the Debugger so node could be generally said to "support debugging", and now that there is no Debugger, node can generally be said to "not support debugging"?

[refack]

Or are you saying that --without-ssl disables the Inspector and leave the Debugger so node could be generally said to "support debugging", and now that there is no Debugger, node can generally be said to "not support debugging"?

Yes.
i.e. if you build v7 --without-ssl you can still debug, but ever since #12197 if you build --without-ssl you have no debugger interface (neither debug or inspect protocols). That's a new loss of an ability.

My proposed solution is to require the builder to additionally explicitly specify --without-debugger (or --without-inspector) when calling ./configure

[refack]

Apparently --without-intl has the same effect. Title and first comment updated.

[sam-github]

I don't see the regression. Losing the Debugger is obviously backwards incompatible/semver-major (and was treated as such). Also, forcing people to type two flags instead of one is an annoyance rather than being helpful.

Unless you are saying that its possible to not have SSL, but to have the Inspector? You are decoupling that? If not, I'm not sure what problem is being solved here.

[refack]

Unless you are saying that it's possible to not have SSL, but to have the Inspector? You are decoupling that? If not, I'm not sure what problem is being solved here.

I was hoping that's possible. And I'm looking into it, but that's a bigger issue.

Also, forcing people to type two flags instead of one is an annoyance rather than being helpful.

IMHO building a new (even semver-major) version and finding out you lost a previously available (important) ability, without any warning, is worse.
I see it a bit like the experimental (#12723) discussion. The user should explicitly opt-in to new behaviour, that way we minimize surprises.

Another solution would be to emit a warning, but I fear it'll be drowned in all sort of script outputs.

[sam-github]

There was a fair amount of warning that the Debugger was going away. And since there is no way to opt-out of the new behaviour, talking about opt-in vs opt-out doesn't seem to apply. And failing to disable SSL when configuring explicitly --without-ssl is in itself a step backwards and a loss of a feature. IMO, the pain exceeds the arguable gain.

[refack]

Addressed by #12978

[sparkleholic]

Is there any reason why --without-intl disable debugger?

[bnoordhuis]

@sparkleholic --without-intl disables ICU. The debugger uses ICU.