---
c: Copyright (C) Daniel Stenberg, <daniel.se>, et al.
SPDX-License-Identifier: curl
Title: testcurl.pl
Section: 1
Source: testcurl
See-also:
 - runtests.pl
Added-in: 7.11.2
---

# NAME

testcurl.pl - (automatically) test curl

# SYNOPSIS

**testcurl.pl [options] [dir] \> output**

# DESCRIPTION

*testcurl* is the master script to use for automatic distributed testing of
curl from git or daily snapshots. It is written for the purpose of being run
from a crontab job or similar at a regular interval. The output is suitable to
be mailed to **curl-autocompile@haxx.se** to be dealt with automatically (make
sure the subject includes the word "autobuild" as the mail gets silently
discarded otherwise). The most current build status (with a reasonable
backlog) will be published on the curl site, at
https://curl.se/dev/builds.html

*options* may be omitted. See *--setup* for what happens then.

*dir* is a curl source dir, possibly a daily snapshot one. Using this will
make *testcurl* skip the 'buildconf' stage and thus it removes the dependency
on automake, autoconf, libtool, GNU m4 and possibly a few other things.

*testcurl* runs `buildconf` (or similar), configure, builds curl and libcurl
in a separate build directory and then runs `make test` to test the fresh
build.

# OPTIONS

## `--configure=[options]`

Configure options passed to configure.

## `--crosscompile`
``
This is a cross-compile. Makes *testcurl* skip a few things.

## `--desc=[desc]`

Description of your test system. Displayed on the build summary page on the
website.

## `--email=[email]`

Set email address to report as. Displayed in the build logs on the site.

## `--mktarball=[command]`

Generic command to run after completed test.

## `--name=[name]`

Set name to report as. Displayed in the build summary on the site.

## `--nobuildconf`

Don't run buildconf. Useful when many builds use the same source tree, as then
only one need to do this. Also, if multiple processes run tests simultaneously
on the same source tree (like several hosts on a NFS mounted dir),
simultaneous buildconf invokes may cause problems. (Added in 7.14.1)

## `--nogitpull`

Don't update from git even though it is a git tree. Useful to still be able to
test even though your network is down, or similar.

## `--runtestopts=[options]`

Options that is passed to the runtests script. Useful for disabling valgrind
by force, and similar.

## `--setup=[file name]`

File name to read setup from (deprecated). The old style of providing info.
If info is missing when *testcurl* is started, it will prompt you and then
store the info in a 'setup' file, which it will look for on each invoke. Use
*--name*, *--email*, *--configure* and *--desc* instead.

## `--target=[your os]`

Specify your target environment. Recognized strings include `vc`, `mingw32`,
and `borland`.

# INITIAL SETUP

First, make a checkout from git (or you write a script that downloads daily
snapshots automatically):

    $ mkdir curl-testing
    $ cd curl-testing
    $ git clone https://github.com/curl/curl.git

With the curl sources checked out, or downloaded, you can start testing right
away. If you want to use *testcurl* without command line arguments and to have
it store and remember the config in its 'setup' file, then start it manually
now and fill in the answers to the questions it prompts you for:

    $ ./curl/tests/testcurl

Now you are ready to go. If you let the script run, it will perform a full
cycle and spit out lots of output. Mail us that output as described above.

# CRONTAB EXAMPLE

The crontab could include something like this:

    # autobuild curl:
    0 4 * * * cd curl-testing && ./testit.sh

Where `testit.sh` is a shell script that could look similar to this:

    mail="mail -s autobuild curl-autocompile@haxx.se"
    name="--name=whoami"
    email="--email=iamme@nowhere"
    desc='"--desc=supermachine Turbo 2000"'
    testprog="perl ./curl/tests/testcurl.pl $name $email $desc"
    opts1="--configure=--enable-debug"
    opts2="--configure=--enable-ipv6"

    # run first test
    $testprog $opts1 | $mail

    # run second test
    $testprog $opts2 | $mail