Re: popdef(undefined), __m4_version__

[Eric Blake]

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[adding m4-discuss, in case anyone on that list wants to chime in]

According to Ralf Wildenhues on 7/28/2008 10:40 AM:
| Hello Eric,
|
| Eric Blake <ebb9 <at> byu.net> writes:

[the current snapshot in preparation for m4 1.6 warn on defn(undefined),
which in turn means that it cannot build autoconf 2.62 and earlier out of
the box]

|> And this means that m4 1.6 can't
|> be released until after autoconf 2.63 (not that it is too hard to
ensure that,
|> as I help maintain both...)
|
| But you don't maintain all Autoconf and M4 packages of all the distros
| out there.  For them this is going to be an additional burden to bear.
| Esp. as older Autoconf isn't even buildable with m4 1.6.

Hmm.  I'm still thinking on this one; maybe the following intermediate
approach would work: if --fatal-warning is turned on (as it is in
autoconf), stay silent, or at least don't affect exit status; but in
default mode, throw the warning.  I've already posted an autoconf patch
that distros can apply to 2.62 to work with m4 1.6 if I don't change
anything, and the patch should port easily to 2.59-2.61.  I guess the
issue is still open to discussion up until after autoconf 2.63 is released
and m4 1.6 is closer to ready.

|
| I fear that this change will just cause m4 1.6 to not be adopted until GCC,
| binutils, python, and other packages I'm not aware of have migrated to newer
| Autoconf.

That's okay by me - the distros are allowed to be behind the curve.  But
hopefully the speed improvements of m4 1.6 will start to sway people to
upgrade.

|
| Cheers, and sorry for sounding so negative,
| Ralf

That's all right; hearing the counter viewpoint is healthy, so that
development doesn't get too out of hand.

- --
Don't work too hard, make some time for fun as well!

Eric Blake             address@hidden
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