ctags error: “ctags: Unknown option: -p”

Question

I've searched for this (exact) error, but I can't find any mention of it on the web.

Basically, I'm trying to install ctags (I've never used it before) on OSX Snow Leopard. Here's what I've done:

1. I downloaded the latest source package (version 5.8) from here: http://ctags.sourceforge.net/
2. Per the INSTALL instructions, I've run configure/make/make install. This installs a ctags binary to /usr/local/bin/.
3. If I cd into /usr/local/bin/ and run ./ctags (with no args), I get this: ctags: Unknown option: -p

Has any one seen this before? I'm obviously not supplying any arguments; if I do, I still get the same error (no matter what the arguments are).

Cheers,

-Lars

Answer 1

I think you should check your ~/.ctags (or any other ctags configuration file listed in ctags -V).

You probably have something like -python-kinds=-i ; ctags interprets that as a single character (-p) option.

In any case, try to run ctags with ctags --options=NONE ; if it fixes the issue, it means that the problem comes from one of your conf files.