Re: `configure' and `make/bison' build issues

[Eric Blake]

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According to Brian Dessent on 5/10/2006 11:47 PM:
> Also it is strange that there would be conflicts on a file like
> configure because that is a generated file that should never be hand
> edited, so I don't see how you would get conflicts.

Actually, it is very common to get conflicts in generated files, when the
version of the generator is different between the person who checked into
cvs vs. the person doing the build (for example autoconf 2.59 vs 2.59c).
That's why so many projects try to avoid generated files in CVS, and
instead have a huge bootstrap script that requires a user to install
prerequisite generator tools.  However, this should just be limited to CVS
builds, where we can assume that the person doing the checkout is a
developer, and is competent to install the necessary prerequisites.  Also,
conflicts in generated tools are typically harmless; just rerun the build,
and they will be regenerated, this time without conflict markers.

On the other hand, in a distribution tarball, depending on external tools
for bootstrapping is frowned upon, and the generated files should be
bundled as part of the package (and furthermore, should not be regenerated
unless the user edited the upstream file).

- --
Life is short - so eat dessert first!

Eric Blake             address@hidden
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