[article] trimming down autoconf's configure scripts by using pkg-config

[Enrico Weigelt]

* Rogelio Serrano <rogelio.serrano at gmail.com> schrieb:

<snip>

> > That's more or less what autoconf does, except that it _generates_
> > the "test C source files" using the shell script.
> >
> 
> But that can break. It happens often when i try to build old packages.
> Like the sdsi tarball from MIT. The configure script was so old I had
> to update it but autotools gave back errors that just seem to keep
> coming back even if i fixed it. I had to install older autotool
> versions to build it. I think autoconf 2.13 and autoconf 2.50 will
> cover packages of whatever vintage.

ACK. I've got the same problems. I had to fix a lot of packages
to get ./configure rebuilt.

You may have a look at my collected patches:

    rsync://sources.metux.de/metux-patches/
    
<snip>
 
> Maybe we can just ship some data file that can be read by a utility?

That's what I suggested some month ago on one of the X-maillists - 
perhaps someone remembers ... 

I'm now working on an more general approach: modeling the software's
structure with an tree.

An slightly outdated wiki page:

    http://wiki.metux.de/public/TreeBuild
    
<snip>
 
> Something like:
> 
> header unistd.h
> library libpth
> symbol whatever
> run yacc
> run install -D
> run install -d

Bad approach. Still command-oriented, and so still too platform dependent.

Better modelize the *essential structure* of the software.


I'm currently working on an tree-based buildsystem and porting 
several X.org packages. If you're interested, I can post my buildfiles.

For detailed discussion about this builldsystem, please join my maillist.


cu
-- 
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 Enrico Weigelt    ==   metux IT service - http://www.metux.de/
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 Please visit the OpenSource QM Taskforce:
 	http://wiki.metux.de/public/OpenSource_QM_Taskforce
 Patches / Fixes for a lot dozens of packages in dozens of versions:
	rsync://sources.metux.de/metux-patches
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