Re: BUILD: gdm spec file changes

[atmczen ibm net]

Hi Omega,

On Tue, 20 Apr 1999 22:28:42 -0700 (PDT)
Erik Walthinsen <omega@cse.ogi.edu> wrote:

> Yeah, to a point.  I always build with the defaults (chroot is so
> handy...), which are always /usr, /etc, /var.  I don't see any real
> point in making those configurable based on the ./autogen prefix
> parameters, since only packagers run that script anyway (for people
> getting pre-packaged stuff, either tarballs or RPMs).  If someone wants to
> relocate something (once locales and such work sanely), they can either
> install it from the tarball and run ./configure with --prefix=wherever, or
> they use a relocatable RPM package, in which case the defaults are moot.
Thanks to James, I am now more educated on the issue with relocatable
packages, and would say that it was not such a hot idea at all.

[snip]
> I dunno, I guess I need to hear someone else's arguments to sway me one
> way or another.  The only thing is that it is indeed more work to make
> sure all the spec.in files are set up like this.  It means verifying that
> the autoconf stuff is providing the proper variables (trivial, I think),
> and AC_SUBSTing them (*should* be done already).  So on that basis I'd say
> not, but that's a lame excuse ;-) 
I think GNOME should not supply spec file in the distribution tarball.
As it stands now, spec is the only file that is preconfigured. It is
sort of like supplying Makefile's with predetermined parameters. RPM
is not exclusive to any particular distribution.  By supplying only
spec.in file, we will be distribution neutral.

For this reason, I think spec.in file with more configure option is
good.  If this means a lot more work for you, no big deal though.

> But in the meantime, is there a good reason not to include the Prefix:
> line in the spec file, for packages that don't leave %prefix?  There's
> always the chance that someone might think they're fully relocatable and
> try to do so, end up with a semi-functional (no locales) package, and
> complain...
This is a very good point.  It should be @prefix@ so it would appear
to be hard coded, as far as rpm is concerned.

Zen

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