autoconf
[Top][All Lists]
Advanced

[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: optional features and AC_ARG_WITH


From: Paul Eggert
Subject: Re: optional features and AC_ARG_WITH
Date: Fri, 04 Feb 2005 20:15:32 -0800
User-agent: Gnus/5.1006 (Gnus v5.10.6) Emacs/21.3 (gnu/linux)

Gregorio Guidi <address@hidden> writes:

> To avoid this, it should be possible to build software x in a way that does 
> not depend on the building host, and this is only possible if x supports 
> AC_ARG_WITH() or AC_ARG_ENABLE() for every optional feature it has
> (so that I can add --without-acl to the package building instructions...).

Here's a different idea: build software x in an environment that does
not have the acl library available.  This can be done even if the
build host has the acl library installed; all you need to do is to
construct a subset environment on the build host, and then use the
subset environment to build.

> for main problem: encourage the use of AC_ARG_WITH and AC_ARG_ENABLE.

Yes, that sounds reasonable, and we already do this, although the
wording could be improved I suppose.  (--with* and --enable* are
in the GNU Coding Standards, as well.)

> for child problem: provide a standard interpretation of those macros (either 
> through a macro that standardizes the use of AC_ARG_WITH/AC_ARG_ENABLE, such 
> as the ones I posted at the beginning; or through some more precise 
> documentation on their use, so that I can point to it when interacting with 
> software developers).

I think I prefer the idea of modifying the documentation.  Can someone
suggest some wording, in the form of a patch?




reply via email to

[Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread]