[Gnu-arch-users] Installation of arch-magic applications (was: axp)

[Mikhael Goikhman]

On 30 Oct 2004 11:19:29 +0200, Jan Hudec wrote:
> 
> Replying to that message -- I believe being a perl module it should be
> installed as a perl module. Using a CPAN shell...

I don't see axp, archzoom and archway as a perl module, these are regular
unix-like applications that happen to have $(sharedir)/perllib/.

> For determining most of the thing, perl's Config hash is the right place
> to look to. While there is aclocal stuff for many languages, there is NO
> aclocal stuff for perl. For ArchZoom, both autoconf and
> Module::Build/ExtUtils::MakeMaker may be needed, but axp and arch-perl
> are both installable with just Module::Build/ExtUtils::MakeMaker.

I think only arch-perl should/could be installed using CPAN.  And this
should be fully optional, only if someone wants to save several kilobytes
of hard disk, or to develop his own arch-related stuff.  I do think that
it is a good thing for every front-end to carry the specific version of
arch-perl it relies upon.  What is exactly the problem with the current
"make install prefix=/usr" that you try to solve?  Don't forget that as
any normal application, a front-end may also install images and more.

> I'd also suggest changing the layout and names a bit. If it should be
> CPAN-friendly, all the modules should be Arch::<something>, in order not
> to increase CPAN enthropy too much. When released on CPAN, people can
> install it by just "cpan -i Arch::<whatever>" (where <whatever> is Zoom,
> AXP, Way or Bundle)

I don't see a reason to install ArchWay::, ArchZoom:: and AXP:: classes
from CPAN. Take a look for example at autoconf and automake modules.
It would be a mistake to require installing Autom4te:: and Automake::
from CPAN, they are useless outside of their applications. If you think
something from the other namespaces are generaly useful, it should be
simply promoted to Arch:: namespace.

So I suggest you to start with adding CPAN installation to arch-perl
[I still think Module::Build is a non-option; none of my 4 machines I
work with including sc.net have it.]  Then front-end makefiles may be
modified to optionally not install Arch:: classes if the proper perl
wide installation is found.

Regards,
Mikhael.