Re: [PATCH] maint: mention how to run a single test in HACKING docs

[Jim Meyering]

Ralf Wildenhues <address@hidden> wrote:
>> Pádraig Brady <P <at> draigBrady.com> wrote:
>> > +  env DEBUG=yes VERBOSE=yes make check -C tests TESTS=mv/hard-link-1 >> 
>> > log
> 2>&1
>
> FWIW, 'make -C' is GNU make-specific, the portable equivalent would be
>   cd tests && env DEBUG=yes VERBOSE=yes make check TESTS=...
>
> and catering to even more ugly make issues (macro settings on the command line
> not being passed down to sub-make invocations; and automake causing check to
> invoke a sub-make for the check-TESTS target), it would be:
>   cd tests && env DEBUG=yes VERBOSE=yes TESTS=... make -e check
>
> Of course, -e has its own set of problems, depending on what the user has
> set in the environment already.

Hi Ralf,

Thanks for the advice, but I'm beginning to think that it's fine to
give GNU-make-specific hints to coreutils builders who run the tests.

Drawing the line between portability and readability is tricky.
However, making assumptions (documented, of course) like requiring
C99 and GNU Make seems to be reasonable, these days, and more sustainable
in the long run.

That said, either syntax in README-like files is fine with me.