# Debugging configure/make/install

**URL:** <https://forums.balena.io/t/debugging-configure-make-install/306803>\
**Category:** Project help\
**Created:** [April 30, 2021, 7:56pm UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/debugging-configure-make-install/306803 "2021-04-30T19:56:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![fieldingsteve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ea5d25/32.png) [@fieldingsteve](https://forums.balena.io/u/fieldingsteve)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2021, 7:56pm UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/debugging-configure-make-install/306803/1 "2021-04-30T19:56:39Z")

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During the configure phase, the configure script is complaining, and suggests that I look in config.log. Is there anyway to view config.log?  
The old containers seem to be still running, but I did no let this deter me from inspecting the device, as I have noticed that old containers seem to persist until a reboot.  
Anyway, when I log into host\_os, I cannot find config.log.

```auto
[main] checking whether the C compiler works... 
[main] no
[main] configure: error: in `/usr/src/app':
[main]     
[main] configure: error: C compiler cannot create executables
[main] See `config.log' for more details
[main]     
[main] Removing intermediate container b68768d66c96

```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ab77](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/ab77/32/2870_2.png) [@ab77](https://forums.balena.io/u/ab77)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2021, 8:41pm UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/debugging-configure-make-install/306803/4 "2021-04-30T20:41:03Z")

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Perhaps you could try building the container locally using balena-cli (`balena build ...`). This will allow you to debug this issue by inspecting generated image layers locally, or just temporarily adding `.. (./configure || true) && cat < config.log` to the `RUN` command in your Dockerfile.

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**Author:** ![fieldingsteve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ea5d25/32.png) [@fieldingsteve](https://forums.balena.io/u/fieldingsteve)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2021, 8:55pm UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/debugging-configure-make-install/306803/5 "2021-04-30T20:55:56Z")

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Thanks for the info.  
I am attempting your first suggestion. So, I ssh’d into the device

```auto
balena ssh 00c1c92.local

```

Now I am logged in, and I try to clone my repo, but I don’t have git installed.  
Should I create a new host\_os or container that has the tools installed?  
Am I on the right track?  
To answer my own question: Creating a container with all the tools installed worked perfectly, and I am now able replicate the configure failure, and read the config.log, which was my orginal question.  
Not sure if this is the best approach, but it seems to be working.  
Thanks for the help.

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**Author:** ![dtischler](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/dtischler/32/2483_2.png) [@dtischler](https://forums.balena.io/u/dtischler)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2021, 1:02am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/debugging-configure-make-install/306803/6 "2021-05-01T01:02:34Z")

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I think Anton’s original thought was to have the balena CLI installed on your local laptop or PC, and use it to build the container right there on your machine (as opposed to the cloud builders). However, your method will give you the same results, so, that works too!