install_name for libraries and frameworks on OS X

[Blake Nicholson]

I plan to apply the following patch to gnustep-make, but would like to  
see if anyone has any feedback against doing so first.  The purpose of  
this patch is to set the install_name on Mac OS X to an absolute  
(rather than relative) path for libraries and frameworks.  My reason  
for doing this is that with the current gnustep-make, if you use a  
file system layout other than apple on OS X, you will not be able to  
launch applications from the Dock.

I see 3 different possible solutions to this problem (my suggested  
patch is option 3):

1) Require any user on OS X to use the apple filesystem layout, and no  
longer set DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH and DYLD_FRAMEWORK_PATH in GNUstep.sh  
(neither one is necessary as all libraries and frameworks are put in  
locations that are already searched when a filesystem of 'apple' is  
used).  For more info on why the apple filesystem layout works without  
setting the DYLD environment variables, see:

http://developer.apple.com/documentation/DeveloperTools/Conceptual/DynamicLibraries/Articles/DynamicLibraryUsageGuidelines.html#/ 
/apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40001928-SW12
[http://tinyurl.com/anr4m]

and also

http://developer.apple.com/documentation/MacOSX/Conceptual/BPFrameworks/Tasks/InstallingFrameworks.html#/ 
/apple_ref/doc/uid/20002261-97184-TPXREF101
[http://tinyurl.com/eogrc]

2) Allow users of OS X to use any filesystem layout, but gnustep-make  
needs to create a ~/.MacOSX/environment.plist file to contain the same  
environment settings as are set by GNUstep.sh.  The environment.plist  
file is necessary so applications launched from the Dock will have the  
same environment (including DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH and DYLD_FRAMEWORK_PATH)  
as applications launched from Terminal.

3) Apply my patch so that the install_name for libraries and  
frameworks is absolute, rather than relative.  This is by far the most  
common way it is done on OS X 10.4 and 10.5 (I'm not sure about  
earlier versions of the OS).  In fact, I do not know of any public  
libraries or frameworks that do it any other way.

Note that my patch does not prevent the use of  
GNUSTEP_INSTALLATION_DOMAIN.  The person building the library or  
framework can still specify the domain and the install_name will be  
set appropriately.

Please let me know if you see any problems with my patch or if you  
recommend any adjustments to it.  I am far from a gnustep-make master,  
and appreciate any suggestions others may have.


Thanks,
Blake


Index: Instance/library.make
===================================================================
--- Instance/library.make       (revision 26514)
+++ Instance/library.make       (working copy)
@@ -236,9 +236,15 @@
 LIB_LINK_VERSION_FILE = $(VERSION_LIBRARY_FILE)
 LIB_LINK_SONAME_FILE = $(SONAME_LIBRARY_FILE)
 LIB_LINK_FILE = $(LIBRARY_FILE)
-LIB_LINK_INSTALL_NAME = $(SONAME_LIBRARY_FILE)
 LIB_LINK_INSTALL_DIR = $(FINAL_LIBRARY_INSTALL_DIR)

+ifeq ($(findstring darwin, $(GNUSTEP_TARGET_OS)), darwin)
+  # On Mac OS X, set install_name to the absolute path to the library
+  LIB_LINK_INSTALL_NAME = $(LIB_LINK_INSTALL_DIR)/$ 
(SONAME_LIBRARY_FILE)
+else
+  LIB_LINK_INSTALL_NAME = $(SONAME_LIBRARY_FILE)
+endif
+
 #
 # Internal targets
 #
Index: Instance/framework.make
===================================================================
--- Instance/framework.make     (revision 26514)
+++ Instance/framework.make     (working copy)
@@ -307,8 +307,13 @@
 ifneq ($(DYLIB_INSTALL_NAME_BASE),)
   LIB_LINK_INSTALL_NAME = $(DYLIB_INSTALL_NAME_BASE)/$ 
(FRAMEWORK_FILE_NAME)
 else
-  # Use a relative path for easy relocation.
-  LIB_LINK_INSTALL_NAME = $(GNUSTEP_INSTANCE).framework/$ 
(GNUSTEP_INSTANCE)
+  ifeq ($(findstring darwin, $(GNUSTEP_TARGET_OS)), darwin)
+    # On Mac OS X, set install_name to the absolute path to the  
framework
+    LIB_LINK_INSTALL_NAME = $(LIB_LINK_INSTALL_DIR)/$(GNUSTEP_INSTANCE)
+  else
+    # Use a relative path for easy relocation.
+    LIB_LINK_INSTALL_NAME = $(GNUSTEP_INSTANCE).framework/$ 
(GNUSTEP_INSTANCE)
+  endif
 endif