Bug#846129: gcr: fails to build with unhelpful error message when built with low memory

[Santiago Vila]

Package: src:gcr
Version: 3.20.0-3

Dear maintainer:

I tried to build this package in stretch with "dpkg-buildpackage -A"
(which is what the "Arch: all" autobuilder would do to build it)
but it failed:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[...]
 debian/rules build-indep
dh build-indep --with gir,gnome
   dh_testdir -i
   dh_update_autotools_config -i
   debian/rules override_dh_autoreconf
make[1]: Entering directory '/<<PKGBUILDDIR>>'
dh_autoreconf --as-needed
libtoolize: putting auxiliary files in AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR, 'build'.
libtoolize: copying file 'build/ltmain.sh'
libtoolize: putting macros in AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIRS, 'build/m4'.
libtoolize: copying file 'build/m4/libtool.m4'
libtoolize: copying file 'build/m4/ltoptions.m4'
libtoolize: copying file 'build/m4/ltsugar.m4'

[... snipped ...]

# Gcr-DEBUG: closing the prompt
# Gcr-DEBUG: stopping prompting for operation /org/gnome/keyring/Prompt/p20@:1.5
# Gcr-DEBUG: couldn't find the callback for prompting operation /org/gnome/keyring/Prompt/p20@:1.5
# Gcr-DEBUG: caller vanished for callback /org/gnome/keyring/Prompt/p21@:1.5
# Gcr-DEBUG: stopping prompting for operation /org/gnome/keyring/Prompt/p21@:1.5
# Gcr-DEBUG: prompter name owner has vanished: :1.20
# Gcr-DEBUG: prompter name owner has vanished: :1.20
# Gcr-DEBUG: closing prompt
# Gcr-DEBUG: closing prompt
# Gcr-DEBUG: unregistering prompter
ok 18 /gcr/system-prompt/watch-cancels

============================================================================
Testsuite summary for gcr 3.20.0
============================================================================
# TOTAL: 597
# PASS:  595
# SKIP:  0
# XFAIL: 0
# FAIL:  1
# XPASS: 0
# ERROR: 1
============================================================================
See ./test-suite.log
Please report to http://bugzilla.gnome.org/enter_bug.cgi?product=gnome-keyring&component=gcr
============================================================================
Makefile:5400: recipe for target 'test-suite.log' failed
make[6]: *** [test-suite.log] Error 1
make[6]: Leaving directory '/<<PKGBUILDDIR>>'
Makefile:5506: recipe for target 'check-TESTS' failed
make[5]: *** [check-TESTS] Error 2
make[5]: Leaving directory '/<<PKGBUILDDIR>>'
Makefile:6026: recipe for target 'check-am' failed
make[4]: *** [check-am] Error 2
make[4]: Leaving directory '/<<PKGBUILDDIR>>'
Makefile:5286: recipe for target 'check-recursive' failed
make[3]: *** [check-recursive] Error 1
make[3]: Leaving directory '/<<PKGBUILDDIR>>'
Makefile:6029: recipe for target 'check' failed
make[2]: *** [check] Error 2
make[2]: Leaving directory '/<<PKGBUILDDIR>>'
debian/rules:24: recipe for target 'override_dh_auto_test' failed
make[1]: *** [override_dh_auto_test] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory '/<<PKGBUILDDIR>>'
debian/rules:8: recipe for target 'build-indep' failed
make: *** [build-indep] Error 2
dpkg-buildpackage: error: debian/rules build-indep gave error exit status 2
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I attach a full build log.

The failure only happens on some autobuilders I have, namely, those
having 768 MB of RAM and 1GB of swap. On those autobuilders, it always
happen.

The failure does not happen (so far) on other autobuilders having more
memory. On those autobuilders, it never happens.

Because of this, the low memory seems to be the reason for the
failure, but I'm not 100% sure.

I'd like to see "out of memory" or "memory exhausted" somewhere, so
that I know for sure what's the reason it fails, but the current error
messages are not helpful. Could this be improved please?

To reproduce please try to build it with sbuild in a virtual machine
having 768 MB of RAM and 1 GB of swap, and a single CPU core.

[ BTW: 768 MB is enough to build 97% of all packages, it's not really
  very low ].

Thanks.
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