x.org is Hacker Trash

[Attila Kinali]

On Thu, 29 Mar 2007 13:39:00 -0500
"Alex Deucher" <alexdeucher at gmail.com> wrote:

> I want to build the latest redhat from scratch, but downloading all
> the src rpm packages is a PITA.  Why isn't there just a big redhat
> package I can download and to build the whole distro?  Talk about
> non-user friendly...

That other people do a bad job is in no way an excuse to
do an bad job oneself.
 
> Seriously, X isn't that hard to build.  When we had the monolith
> people complained because they had to rebuild the whole thing just to
> build the latest radeon driver.  Now the opposite is true.  We can't
> win ;)

I actually like the modularized way. Of course, one has to
be carefull what to compile together, but at least one
does not need to wait for slow gcc to move over all
source files. If the build system would be now easy to
understand and use, it would be a big win.

> There are several pages on the wiki that describe the building
> process, and if you have questions, fell free to ask; that's why we
> have this list.   And if you figure out a way of building everything
> that works for you, add it to the wiki rather than expecting some
> developer to add it; it's a wiki after all!

Well, a few months ago (IIRC last November or so) i tried to figure
out a bug the MGA driver. As a good OSS fellow i tried what i always
preach myself: use the upstream development repo. So then, it didn't
look like something i could just download, unpack,
./configure && make && make install. Well, no harm done, there is
a wiki with an HOWTO and some related docu. Unfortunately it
didn't work for me. I don't remember anymore why it didn't work,
but it was something that i couldn't solve within 3h of work.
And mind you, i'm not new to OSS development and can handle
the related tools and fix code if necessary. 
In the end i downloaded the source packages from debian and
recompiled those with their build script. Worked like a charm.

Now, i shouldn't talk big, because i neither figured out why
the build failed, nor have i tried to make a patch to correct
that issue. But still, if i fail compiling xorg, what will do
people who have much less experience? Of course, this is a good
way to keep DAUs away from the development mailinglists, but
keeping away too many people isn't a good thing.


			Attila Kinali

PS: No, i couldnt figure out what the bug was,
so neither a patch for that was send.
-- 
Praised are the Fountains of Shelieth, the silver harp of the waters,
But blest in my name forever this stream that stanched my thirst!
                         -- Deed of Morred