warning about _-variables (Was: Re: [Coreutils-announce] coreutils-5.0.1 released)

[Alexandre Duret-Lutz]

[http://mail.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-coreutils/2003-07/msg00052.html]

Sorry for the delay.

>>> "Jim" == Jim Meyering <address@hidden> writes:

 Jim> Alexandre Duret-Lutz <address@hidden> wrote:
 >> On Wed, Jul 16, 2003 at 08:46:26AM +0200, Jim Meyering wrote:
 >>> Alexandre Duret-Lutz <address@hidden> wrote:
[...]
 >>> > Is NEWS-OS 4.2R something you care about?  Make variables
 >>> 
 >>> Do people still use that OS?
 >> 
 >> No idea, all I know about this OS is its name and this Make
 >> limitation.  Googling for "NEWS-OS" and "automake" shows two bug
 >> reports in 2000 and 2001, including the complaint about `_'-variables.

 Jim> Hi Alexandre!

 Jim> What do you think about dropping that warning altogether, 

Someone complained that Automake used such variables two years
ago, so I'd prefer to keep this warning so that at least
Automake can test itself and be sure we don't reintroduce them
by mistake.

Also the problem generally is easy to avoid with no burden.

 Jim> or at least allowing packages like the coreutils to
 Jim> disable that part of -Wall?  

How can we do this?  Shall we split -Wportability into two
options?  How would you name the other one?  This sounds a bit
clumsy.  Perhaps it would be better to provide a way to disable
warnings individually?

[...]

-- 
Alexandre Duret-Lutz