nobs should validate gasnet version

[john bachan]

Currently, specifying a pre-Ex gasnet to nobs breaks (as it should) without a meaningful error to clue the user in. Nobs should defensively check gasnet's version and die with dignity.

Upon extracting the gasnet source, nobs should assert the existence of configure and gasnetex.h.

After configure, nobs should assert the version numbers GASNETI_EX_SPEC_VERSION_{MAJOR,MINOR} from gasnet_config.h meet its needs.

[Dan Bonachea]

Mass roll-over of unresolved issues to the next milestone.

[Dan Bonachea]

This issue was triaged at the 2018-06-13 Pagoda meeting and assigned a new milestone/priority.

[Dan Bonachea]

Mass roll-over of unresolved issues to the next milestone.

[Dan Bonachea]

We now have a VIP client (HipMER) who is planning to script a UPC++ build that sets GASNET to replace the default GEX with a version that is consistent with the current BUPC version, to ensure correct hybrid operation.

We really need a mechanism for UPC++ to enforce its baseline required GASNet-EX version number - to ensure that violation of minimum requirements fails with an understandable error, instead of inscrutable compile errors or silent misbehavior.

[Dan Bonachea]

As of a02d864 we now enforce GEX version interlock at library compile time.

It would still be more user-friendly to do this version checking from nobs during initial unpack of the GEX tarball as suggested in the initial report, but downgrade in priority since we should no longer get silent misbehavior.

[Dan Bonachea]

Today we have another, independent external user (on the email list) who was confused by the error messages upon trying to pass a GASNet-1 tarball to UPC++.

Bump priority for adding a nobs-based check to generate an error message early in the install process for this common mistake, rather than making the user wait for 15 minutes to get a 30-page sea of errors.

[Dan Bonachea]

This issue was triaged at the 2019-07-24 Pagoda issue meeting and assigned a new milestone.

[Dan Bonachea]

pull request #134 retires nobs from end-user support

The new infrastructure does a more comprehensive job of validating GEX requirements are satisfied