Re: LYNX-DEV BSD makefile support 4

[Larry W. Virden, x2487]

From: address@hidden (Michael Sokolov)

>    I see you saying that the Makefile system is deprecated and you urge
> everyone to move to the auto-configure script. However, not everyone would

No, what they are saying is that they are deprecating the idea of shipping
one makefile to try to cover all past, present and future operating systems.
Instead, they are advocating the user of a 'mysterious' script that creates
a makefile customized to your system.


> rather than a mysterious 160 KB (!) shell script. A Makefile is completely
> predictable: one can see what files are compiled and what options are used,
> and one can change that if necessary. With an autoconfigure monster script,
> one runs it and has no idea what that alien ship is going to do.

Nope - the results of the autoconfigure is a Makefile which one can use to
see what files are compiled, what options are used, and which one can change
if necessary.

>    You can't just throw out the traditional Makefile, since many people
> depend on it. The only way I can compile Lynx is to use the target I wrote

Actually, while they _could_ (many packages are distributed in just this
fashion), I don't think that this has been advocated.  Instead, what's
been suggested is that the default Makefile be scaled back to cover
a generic case.

>    When I loaded that 160 KB monster in an editor and tried to decipher it,
> I did notice references to BSDI, FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD. But these
> are just special cases! The general case, i.e., the pure 4.4BSD tape from
> UC Berkeley, is missing. You may think that no one uses it, but there is an

It has nothing to do with thinking that no one uses it.  It has to do with
the fact that if there's no special case for an OS, then that OS has
shown to work in a manner similar to the others not shown as special cases.

>    Why can't you just add my target to the Makefile? It does the same thing
> as the existing one, except that it sets the compilation options correctly.

If a bsdi target is planned to be left in the Makefile, then I agree that
we should make the changes suggested.  Another suggestion is that we only
leave in targes in the default Makefile which have 'sponsers' - folk who
are willing to have their email address added to a comment right by
the target and whom can provide some degree of hand holding when necessary.

-- 
Larry W. Virden                 INET: address@hidden
<URL:http://www.teraform.com/%7Elvirden/> <*> O- "We are all Kosh."
Unless explicitly stated to the contrary, nothing in this posting should 
be construed as representing my employer's opinions.
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