Re: libtool and mkoctfile

[Benjamin Lindner]

John W. Eaton wrote:
> On  4-Nov-2009, Benjamin Lindner wrote:
>
> | With all due respect, but at this point I'd like to re-raise the 
> | question, why are you trying to switch to libtool in the first
> | place?
>
> In part because it makes it simpler to use gnulib, and I think that
> replacing parts of Octave with gnulib equivalents will be helpful and
> make Octave more portable and more reliable.

Fair enough.
I see that you also reponded in this sense to the wifexited() issue on 
windows. OK, I get the point.

> I have offered to help with the transition, but to do that, I will
> need some precise instructions about how to construct the same build
> environment that you have on a Windows system.  So far, no one has
> posted any instructions that would help me do that, or pointed me to
> an existing document that clearly describes how to build Octave on a
> Windows system.

True, I am sorry I did not respond to this immediately.
You are right there is no howto for octave on windows. There should be 
one. There should also be a readme.mingw for all reasons.
I had it on my todo list, and not yet time to write them.

> In a recent message, you said that you were able to build some parts
> of Octave with libtool, but that some things were still not working.
> What is not working?

We had a therad on the list, I'll pick it up there where I left ok?

> Again, I am willing to help with the transition, but I need to have
> some precise directions for setting up a build environment that is the
> same as yours so I can try to build Octave and see what the problems
> are.

Again, thanks for the offer. Yes, I'd like a second pair of eyes and
possibly a different approach to the build process. Maybe I'm getting
too blind already.
Let's see, since I'd actually like to start writing a howto for octave 
on windows anyway. Would you be willing to play test subject?

benjamin