Fwd: Autotools modernization in GNOME

[Robert Ancell]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Robert Ancell <robert.ancell at gmail.com>
Date: 2010/1/28
Subject: Re: Autotools modernization in GNOME
To: "Thomas H.P. Andersen" <phomes at gmail.com>


Hi Thomas,

Thanks for that.

It may be worth looking at pandora-build:
https://edge.launchpad.net/pandora-build
There was a talk at linux.conf.au 2010 from the author - it is a set
of macros and conventions to make autotools as simple as possible to
use.

The difficulties I find with packaging:

- Making it clear on build dependencies, i.e. it should be easy to
read out the dependencies in configure.ac and update the package with
these (this is generally easy but it is a good goal to state in an
autotools policy)

- Patches that modify configure.ac or Makefile.am(s) - we then need a
second patch to update configure and Makefile(s).  Ideally we'd like
to regenerate these before each package build but autotools version
mismatches tend to stop this from working reliably.  I don't know if
there is a good solution for autotools though.

--Robert

2010/1/28 Thomas H.P. Andersen <phomes at gmail.com>:
> Hi Robert,
>
> Javier just started a new gnome goal proposal the other day to
> modernize the autotools usage in gnome. You can see the proposal here:
> http://live.gnome.org/GnomeGoals/ModernAutotools
>
> You guys are doing a lot of packaging so maybe you have some tips, or
> requests for this goal?
>
> - Thomas
>