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Re: Setup proposal: "Maintainer Features" #define and AC_ARG_ENABLE


Robert Collins wrote:
> On Wed, 2002-12-25 at 10:39, Max Bowsher wrote:
>> I'd like to resubmit my 'alternative registry name' patch for setup.
>> It's not something that should go into released versions, but is the
>> kind of thing that a maintainer is likely to find useful. I'd like
>> to have a new #define (say MAINTAINER_FEATURES) and AC_ARG_ENABLE
>> (say --enable-maintainer-features) for things that a maintainer could
>> compile into their normal everyday setup, and activate on the
>> command line as required (as distinct from DEBUG, which is for stuff
>> that causes extremely verbose logging, or is otherwise undesirable
>> for an everyday binary).
>>
>> Comments?
>
> Yes, I'm still not convinced that a new global define is needed. Can
> you elaborate on *what* will be triggered by that define, and *how* it
> difers from debugging output.

I suggest it be used for enabling the existence of the alternate registry
name command line option and any other future additions of this sort. It is
different from DEBUG, because DEBUG features impede the use of the resultant
setup for ordinary use, whereas MAINTAINER_FEATUREs should be things that a
maintainer will compile into their everyday setup, to have on hand without
recompilation, when needed.

A seperate global define is needed to enable this to be on when DEBUG is
off.

> Secondly, maintainer only features should not be visible as configure
> arguments - add them to your CXXFLAGS command line parameter, or tweak
> Makefile.am. The reason for this is that users *will* turn on
> configure parameters in the assumption that they are for users. I've
> seen this happen before, with disasterous consequences :[.

Robert Collins later added:
> I do like the idea of turning all such features into command line
> arguments though. Tick in that box.

I'm not quite sure how to interpret these 2 comments consistently.

In any case, I'd like to make the points:
- We don't seem to get that many people compiling setup themselves.
- If someone turns on an --enable option, with the word maintainer in its
name, no less, without understanding it, its thoughroughly their fault.

> As for the alternative registry name, I've already agree in principle,
> there was an email about what was needed a while ago :}.

Yes, I just need to submit a tidied up patch, which I will do once we
conclude this discussion.

Max.


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