How do I troubleshoot cabal-install errors for the vector-algorithms package, darcs, and others? - haskell

Question

$ ghc -V; cabal -V
The Glorious Glasgow Haskell Compilation System, version 7.0.1
cabal-install version 0.8.2
using version 1.8.0.6 of the Cabal library
Here's the error:
$ cabal install vector-algorithms
Resolving dependencies...
Configuring vector-algorithms-0.3.4...
Preprocessing library vector-algorithms-0.3.4...
Building vector-algorithms-0.3.4...
[1 of 9] Compiling Data.Vector.Algorithms.Common ( Data/Vector/Algorithms/Common.hs, dist/build/Data/Vector/Algorithms/Common.o )
[2 of 9] Compiling Data.Vector.Algorithms.Radix ( Data/Vector/Algorithms/Radix.hs, dist/build/Data/Vector/Algorithms/Radix.o )
[3 of 9] Compiling Data.Vector.Algorithms.Search ( Data/Vector/Algorithms/Search.hs, dist/build/Data/Vector/Algorithms/Search.o )
[4 of 9] Compiling Data.Vector.Algorithms.Optimal ( Data/Vector/Algorithms/Optimal.hs, dist/build/Data/Vector/Algorithms/Optimal.o )
[5 of 9] Compiling Data.Vector.Algorithms.Insertion ( Data/Vector/Algorithms/Insertion.hs, dist/build/Data/Vector/Algorithms/Insertion.o )
[6 of 9] Compiling Data.Vector.Algorithms.TriHeap ( Data/Vector/Algorithms/TriHeap.hs, dist/build/Data/Vector/Algorithms/TriHeap.o )
[7 of 9] Compiling Data.Vector.Algorithms.Intro ( Data/Vector/Algorithms/Intro.hs, dist/build/Data/Vector/Algorithms/Intro.o )
[8 of 9] Compiling Data.Vector.Algorithms.Merge ( Data/Vector/Algorithms/Merge.hs, dist/build/Data/Vector/Algorithms/Merge.o )
[9 of 9] Compiling Data.Vector.Algorithms.Combinators ( Data/Vector/Algorithms/Combinators.hs, dist/build/Data/Vector/Algorithms/Combinators.o )
Data/Vector/Algorithms/Combinators.hs:36:23:
Couldn't match type `forall s1. ST s1 (Mutable v s1 e)'
with `ST s (mv s e)'
In the second argument of `(.)', namely `N.New'
In the expression: new . N.New
In the expression:
(new . N.New)
(M.unstream (stream v) >>= \ arr -> algo arr >> return arr)
cabal: Error: some packages failed to install:
vector-algorithms-0.3.4 failed during the building phase. The exception was:
ExitFailure 1
I also noticed that when I installed cabal-install it installed process-1.0.1.4, random-1.0.0.3, Cabal-1.8.0.6,
and the time-1.2.0.3 packages which were already present in the global package database.
For example, trying to install darcs and other packages I receive the following:
Resolving dependencies...
<command line>: cannot satisfy -package Cabal-1.10.0.0:
Cabal-1.10.0.0-30b3f082077a2793c432ea426276c8f9 is unusable due to missing or recursive dependencies:
process-1.0.1.4-b476e45706840d55749b12ebe18dc835
(use -v for more information)
cabal: Error: some packages failed to install:
I tried ghc-pkg unregister for all the dups, but that didn't help.
I also tried ghc-pkg check and that doesn't return anything, ever.
I tried starting over, removing all the local databases including $HOME/.cabal/, then reinstalling cabal-install and this is where I'm currently at.
This is the result after removing everything, and reinstalling cabal-install:
$ ghc-pkg list
/usr/local/lib/ghc-7.0.1/package.conf.d:
Cabal-1.10.0.0
array-0.3.0.2
base-4.3.0.0
bin-package-db-0.0.0.0
bytestring-0.9.1.8
containers-0.4.0.0
directory-1.1.0.0
extensible-exceptions-0.1.1.2
ffi-1.0
filepath-1.2.0.0
(ghc-7.0.1)
(ghc-binary-0.5.0.2)
ghc-prim-0.2.0.0
(haskell2010-1.0.0.0)
haskell98-1.1.0.0
hpc-0.5.0.6
integer-gmp-0.2.0.2
old-locale-1.0.0.2
old-time-1.0.0.6
pretty-1.0.1.2
process-1.0.1.4
random-1.0.0.3
rts-1.0
template-haskell-2.5.0.0
time-1.2.0.3
unix-2.4.1.0
/home/moisei/.ghc/x86_64-linux-7.0.1/package.conf.d:
Cabal-1.8.0.6
HTTP-4000.1.0
ListLike-1.1.0
MonadCatchIO-transformers-0.2.2.2
PSQueue-1.1
attoparsec-0.8.2.0
attoparsec-iteratee-0.1.2
binary-0.5.0.2
bytestring-mmap-0.2.1
bytestring-nums-0.3.2
bytestring-show-0.3.4
cere containers-0.3.0.0
deepseq-1.1.0.2
directory-1.0.1.2
directory-tree-0.9.1
dlist-0.5
filepath-1.1.0.4
haskell98-1.1.0.0
iteratee-0.3.6
monads-fd-0.1.0.2
mtl-1.1.1.0
mtl-2.0.1.0
murmur-hash-0.1.0.2
network-2.2.1.10
network-2.3
network-bytestring-0.1.3.2
parsec-2.1.0.1
primitive-0.3.1
process-1.0.1.4
random-1.0.0.3
template-haskell-2.5.0.0
text-0.10.0.0
time-1.1.4
transformers-0.2.2.0
unix-compat-0.2
vector-0.7.0.1
zlib-0.5.2.0

Answer 1

These aren't cabal errors. The vector package doesn't build out of the box with GHC 7 (yet). You're an early adopter, jumping on GHC 7 before the Haskell Platform version is released.
As an early adopter, your duty is to report build errors to package maintainers.