Configuring error in a docker image with Matlab 2020b

[diegoferigo]

I'm trying to compile the robotology-superbuild in a docker image based on ubuntu:focal that contains (an inactive version of) Matlab similarly to the official Mathworks images located at https://hub.docker.com/r/mathworks/matlab.

The compilation of this projects fails with the following error:

[213/272] Performing configure step for 'yarp-matlab-bindings'
FAILED: src/yarp-matlab-bindings/CMakeFiles/YCMStamp/yarp-matlab-bindings-configure /home/matlab/isaac/robotology-superbuild/build/src/yarp-matlab-bindings/CMakeFiles/YCMStamp/yarp-matlab-bindings-configure 
cd /home/matlab/isaac/robotology-superbuild/build/src/yarp-matlab-bindings && /usr/bin/cmake --no-warn-unused-cli -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH:PATH=/home/matlab/isaac/robotology-superbuild/build/install -DYARP_USES_MATLAB:BOOL=ON -DYARP_USES_OCTAVE:BOOL=OFF -C/home/matlab/isaac/robotology-superbuild/build/src/yarp-matlab-bindings/CMakeFiles/YCMTmp/yarp-matlab-bindings-cache-Release.cmake -GNinja /home/matlab/isaac/robotology-superbuild/src/yarp-matlab-bindings && /usr/bin/cmake -E touch /home/matlab/isaac/robotology-superbuild/build/src/yarp-matlab-bindings/CMakeFiles/YCMStamp/yarp-matlab-bindings-configure
Not searching for unused variables given on the command line.
loading initial cache file /home/matlab/isaac/robotology-superbuild/build/src/yarp-matlab-bindings/CMakeFiles/YCMTmp/yarp-matlab-bindings-cache-Release.cmake
-- The C compiler identification is GNU 9.4.0
-- The CXX compiler identification is GNU 9.4.0
-- Detecting C compiler ABI info
-- Detecting C compiler ABI info - done
-- Check for working C compiler: /usr/bin/cc - skipped
-- Detecting C compile features
-- Detecting C compile features - done
-- Detecting CXX compiler ABI info
-- Detecting CXX compiler ABI info - done
-- Check for working CXX compiler: /usr/bin/c++ - skipped
-- Detecting CXX compile features
-- Detecting CXX compile features - done
-- Found YARP: /home/matlab/isaac/robotology-superbuild/build/install/lib/cmake/YARP (found version "3.5.1")
CMake Deprecation Warning at /home/matlab/isaac/robotology-superbuild/build/install/lib/cmake/YARP/YARPConfig.cmake:223 (message):
  The YARP_INCLUDE_DIRS variable is deprecated
Call Stack (most recent call first):
  CMakeLists.txt:9223372036854775807 (_yarp_deprecated_variable_warning)
  CMakeLists.txt:29 (get_target_property)


-- Found YCM: /home/matlab/isaac/robotology-superbuild/build/install/share/cmake/YCM (found version "0.13.0")
CMake Deprecation Warning at /home/matlab/isaac/robotology-superbuild/build/install/lib/cmake/YARP/YARPConfig.cmake:223 (message):
  The YARP_INCLUDE_DIRS variable is deprecated
Call Stack (most recent call first):
  CMakeLists.txt:9223372036854775807 (_yarp_deprecated_variable_warning)
  CMakeLists.txt:42 (include_directories)


CMake Error at cmake/FindMatlab.cmake:1033 (list):
  list GET given empty list
Call Stack (most recent call first):
  cmake/FindMatlab.cmake:1239 (_Matlab_get_version_from_root)
  matlab/CMakeLists.txt:105 (find_package)


-- Found Matlab: /opt/matlab/extern/include (found version "NOTFOUND") found components: MX_LIBRARY 
CMake Deprecation Warning at /home/matlab/isaac/robotology-superbuild/build/install/share/YCM/modules/InstallBasicPackageFiles.cmake:304 (message):
  TARGETS is deprecated.  Use EXPORT instead
Call Stack (most recent call first):
  matlab/CMakeLists.txt:177 (install_basic_package_files)


CMake Deprecation Warning at /home/matlab/isaac/robotology-superbuild/build/install/share/YCM/modules/InstallBasicPackageFiles.cmake:375 (message):
  Compatibility variables are no longer generated.  Use
  ENABLE_COMPATIBILITY_VARS to re-enable them (deprecated) or define them
  using either INCLUDE_FILE or INCLUDE_CONTENT (recommended).
Call Stack (most recent call first):
  matlab/CMakeLists.txt:177 (install_basic_package_files)


-- Configuring incomplete, errors occurred!

The call stack tells me that the problem's origin is this line of the vendored FindMatlab.cmake file:

yarp-matlab-bindings/cmake/FindMatlab.cmake

Line 1033 in b193b02

list(GET matlab_list_of_all_versions 0 _matlab_version_tmp)

that is called here:

yarp-matlab-bindings/cmake/FindMatlab.cmake

Lines 1239 to 1243 in b193b02

	_Matlab_get_version_from_root(
	"${Matlab_ROOT_DIR}"
	${Matlab_VERSION_STRING}
	Matlab_VERSION_STRING
	)

For reasons, I'm using an old v3.5.0 tag from last summer. At first, I thought it could be caused by missing version mappings introduced later in #81 for my Matlab version. However, even after adding them, the problem in the docker image did not get solved.

Since it was quite old, I tried to update the vendored version of the file to the latest release, and the compilation inside docker got fixed. @traversaro do you prefer I open a PR to update this file? I don't think I have enough time to understand what's wrong in the current version of FindMatlab.cmake.

[traversaro]

Since it was quite old, I tried to update the vendored version of the file to the latest release, and the compilation inside docker got fixed. @traversaro do you prefer I open a PR to update this file? I don't think I have enough time to understand what's wrong in the current version of FindMatlab.cmake.

Ok to update FindMATLAB, the important thing is to use a version after https://gitlab.kitware.com/cmake/cmake/-/merge_requests/7139 (so current master is fine, but not latest release). As soon as CMake 3.24 is released we can drop all the vendored FindMatlab modules around (see robotology/robotology-superbuild#1044).