Re: [AUCTeX-devel] install AUCTeX as an off xemacs-pkg

[David Kastrup]

Uwe Brauer <address@hidden> writes:

>>>>>> "David" == David Kastrup <address@hidden> writes:
>
>    >> >> No, I am not talking about the xemacs-package target I am talking
>    >> >> about the without-texmfdir target,
>    >> 
>    David> You are confusing targets and options.  It is quite unclear
>    David> what you are talking about.
>    >> 
>    >> 
>    >> You are right. What I mean is, what target in the Makefile(s)
>    >> correspond(s) to the option --without-texmf-dir (for the ./configure
>    >> run)
>
>    David> Well, I mentioned several times that the Makefile target
>    David> "xemacs-package" is used for the configuration and building
>    David> of XEmacs packages and even quoted the respective Makefile
>    David> rule in the last mail.  I doubt I can be of much more help
>    David> than that.
>
> But the target xemacs-package does not help me, since it uses
> ./configure!

Since this is the first time that you mention that running ./configure
is not possible for you, you can hardly blame me that I did not
realize this before.

> xemacs-package:
>       rm -rf xemacs-build
>       cp -a auctex-$(TAG) xemacs-build
>       cd xemacs-build \
>       && ./configure ... --without-texmf-dir    
> --with-auto-dir=etc/auctex/auto 
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
> Etc. I *cannot* use configure for a official xemacs-pkg. I have to
> copy the relevant targets in the Makefile manually.

Well, so what?  Run configure manually, if you want to by using the
above Makefile target, and then take a look at the resulting Makefile
and its rules.

Also there will be an auto-autoloads.el and an auctex.el be
generated.  Stuff like that.

Just use the xemacs-package target once as described, and everything
will be set up properly in the xemacs-build directory for generating a
clean XEmacs package, and a package will be generated.  You can then
take a look at what files are included in this package, and check how
xemacs-build/Makefile created them.

> I know this part of the INSTALL file. BTW  how is the variable
> TEXIMPUTS set at runtime?

grep kpathsea tex.el

>    David> Since an XEmacs package has to be contained within the
>    David> Emacs Lisp tree, you need to use that option, and that's
>    David> exactly what the "xemacs-package" target in Makefile.in
>    David> does.
>
> But it uses configure!

So what?  There is nothing wrong with running configure manually in
order to decide what to check into the XEmacs tree in what manner.

The xemacs-package target does the whole process of generating an
XEmacs package.  Even if you can't make use of it directly, you can
certainly use it for getting a demonstration of all the necessary
steps.  Some of them will ultimately have to be done by the XEmacs
packaging infrastructure: that's what XEmacs policy demands.  If it
were not for that, you could just take the finished package and use
it.  Since that is not possible, your next best bet is to run the
xemacs-package target, and then check in the resulting tree with all
required generated files, and with suitable Metadata (like an
XEmacs-specific Makefile inclusion file and file lists and stuff).

And if that works out, you should get pretty much what the
xemacs-package target would generate on its own, but by using the
XEmacs packaging stuff.  Yes, it seems like a lot of hassle just for
getting the same result in a different manner, but the alternatives
would be to remove AUCTeX completely from the XEmacs package
distribution channels and offer a separate download of our own.

I had quite a bit of shouting over this on the XEmacs developer list,
but the result remains: if AUCTeX is to stay in XEmacs sumo, this
process of convincing the XEmacs package infrastructure to produce a
package identical to what our Makefile does anyway will have to be
done for each release.

It may be that you can automate some of this configure and sort and
filelist and CVS checkin stuff into a private batch file, so as not to
have to do this manually each time.  And I would also be willing to
have such a batch file placed into the CVS archive for AUCTeX (though
not the distributed tarballs) if it is helpful for you to keep it
there instead of on a private copy.  But you still would have to write
it yourself, as you are the one with actual contact to the XEmacs
packaging infrastructure.

The alternative is that you say you won't bother, and then we'll ask
for AUCTeX to be removed from Sumo (or kept for all eternity at 11.55)
and will offer the package (built with our Makefile) for download from
the GNU ftp server.  It would be less hassle, would make a more
up-to-date version of the package available to people in general, and
would probably cut the number of XEmacs users of AUCTeX at least in
half.

I wish I could spare you that additional work of rebuilding a
(hopefully) working package in a different manner, but it is not my
call to make.  It is XEmacs package policy.

So please don't be afraid to use our Makefile and configure scripts:
just consider them as tools for yourself to use manually in order to
get the tree into a state where you don't need to do much more than
check it in.

You'll still need to create the XEmacs Metadata and probably rearrange
the directory tree in some manner.  I'd strongly recommend trying to
write a batch file for that once you have figured out most of the
involved steps.

-- 
David Kastrup, Kriemhildstr. 15, 44793 Bochum