Re: default -g ??!?

[MK]

On Sat, 20 Nov 2010 14:17:14 -0600 (CST)
Bob Friesenhahn <address@hidden> wrote:
> The vast majority of Linux users install from binary packages, or via 
> source-based install systems which assure that appropriate build 
> options are applied.  Very few build by hand and install under 
> /usr/local. 

True, but while I do not track binary downloads from debian, I do track
source downloads from my site.  Also, I get some feedback from users.
Because versions of the project are currently in debian "unstable" and
"testing" repos (which are necessary before it can be qualified
"stable"),  I am positive that *most* of my users are people
who download and build from the source.

Basically, I don't think source users should count as "second class
citizens" here.

> Those that do are likely to read the standard INSTALL 
> file and therefore know what to do. 

Maybe so, and maybe not.  But regardless: it makes more sense to have
the default *appropriate for general use*, rather for a distro packager
(who's work I do appreciate!).  Otherwise, I have to put a note in the
INSTALL: "To accommodate the constraints of distro package systems, you
will have to use a configure option or strip your binaries if you do
not want debugging symbols slowing you down".

I know that historically, that has been the practice, and I am arguing
against the grain.

> Since you found that gvim loads much quicker after it has been 
> stripped, I must assume that you are using the Plan 9 OS rather than 
> Linux.

No, linux.  I build vim because I have yet to see a distro package that
is configured the way I want it (and no, the "vim-everything" packages
do not actually contain everything). Generally I just use apt or yum,
but for some particular things like this (or for projects such as my
own, which are not available as binaries for every distro), I source
build.

Also, if you are using a small or offbeat linux distribution, there's
surely a lot of software that simply is not available for it in binary,
but that can easily be built from source.

MK

-- 
"The angel of history[...]is turned toward the past." (Walter Benjamin)