Re: CC can be a program name *with arguments*

[Bob Friesenhahn]

On Thu, 3 Mar 2005, Gary V. Vaughan wrote:
> Very well, then let's put it to the vote!  I never use the installed
> libtool myself, and can't think of a compelling reason to keep it around
> that outweighs the misunderstandings that it causes.  But, on the other
> hand I'm not sure I want to rock the boat too hard...
>
> +0.5 to remove installed libtool script in HEAD
> -0.5 for branch-2-0
> -1   for branch-1-5
>
> What say you?

There are other options ...

An option which may satisfy both camps (assuming that there are two 
camps) is to add a libtool configure option to install the configured 
libtool.  If this configure option is not used, then whatever decrepit 
libtool the user already has on his system will continue to remain 
until End Of Days and we will continue to receive bug reports from 
users who obtained the libtool version via 'libtool --version' (using 
the decrepit version).  With this choice the user will be *completely 
protected* from any newer version and any problems may safely be 
blamed on the decrepit version.

There is also the possibility of removing any existing program 
occupying the position where 'libtool' would have been installed when 
the new libtool package is installed.

This leaves the choice up to the person who installs libtool (who 
presumably knows best), while defaulting to the "safer" choice that 
libtool maintainers seem to be comfortable with.

In making this decision, we must consider what existing Automake does. 
If it searches for installed libtool by looking for a 'libtool' 
program in the path, then there will be problems.

Bob
======================================
Bob Friesenhahn
address@hidden, http://www.simplesystems.org/users/bfriesen/
GraphicsMagick Maintainer,    http://www.GraphicsMagick.org/