Re: [Freeciv-Dev] configure.in nitpicking

[Greg Wooledge <wooledge@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Per Mathisen (permath@xxxxxxxxxxx) wrote:

> IMHO, the new X library check macros are way too complicated. How about
> redefining $LIBS for each OS type instead? Like:
>       AC_CANONICAL_HOST
>       case $host_os in
>               linux*)
>                       LIBS="$LIBS -L/usr/X11/lib -lX11 -lXX -letc"
>               freebsd*)
>                       LIBS="$LIBS -L/usr/weird/place -lX11 -letc"
>               solaris*)
>                       lIBS="$LIBS -L/usr/openwin/sucks -lX10 -letc"
>               *)
>                       LIBS="$LIBS -L/default/place -lX11 -letc"
>       esac

No, this is not a good idea.  The whole point of autoconf is to
detect *exactly* what is installed on a given system, and where it is.
It's not feasible to assume that all systems which *look* like FooOS vX.Y
are identical.

Also see the "Exodus" section of the autoconf info page, which says:

   For general use, it seems to me a hopeless cause to try to maintain an
   up-to-date database of which features each variant of each operating
   system has.  It's easier and more reliable to check for most features
   on the fly--especially on hybrid systems that people have hacked on
   locally or that have patches from vendors installed.

-- 
"Daddy, why do those people have to    |   Greg Wooledge
  use Microsoft Windows?"              |   wooledge@xxxxxxxxxxx
"Don't stare, son; it's not polite."   |   http://www.kellnet.com/wooledge/