Date: Tue, 2 Jul 2002 01:46:32 -0400 (EDT) From: Douglas Denault <doug@safeport.com> To: Doug Barton <dougb@FreeBSD.org> Cc: freebsd-bugs@FreeBSD.org Subject: Re: conf/40102: mergemaster should use the currend working directory as the default for -m Message-ID: <Pine.BSF.4.21.0207020115040.210-100000@pemaquid.safeport.com> In-Reply-To: <200207020209.g6229Lcm086796@freefall.freebsd.org>
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I understand that (mergemaster is your baby) and a fine piece of work
it is too. Upgrading the system would be something only the developers
could accomplish without it.
Intuitive (to me) is obviously self serving. Let me try some of the
reasons I thought that:
1) man mergemaster does not specify that the default is a constant. I
only found out that because a guru told me that was the way it worked
in CURRENT, so I checked.
2) to do the build and install, you MUST be in the "src" directory that
you cvsup'd to, so, it is not (entirely) illogical to assume
mergemaster works from the same directory.
3) If you use NFS to build multiple systems, you (seemingly) must mount
the src directory on the target system with the same name as that of
the build system. There has been a lot of discussion to the effect
that "should not" be the case, but as far as I know, it is.
4) Lastly (and the killer for me) is that the process, mergemaster'ing,
works if /usr/src is empty. I have no explanation for that just lots
of experience. It is a bit inconsistent.
5) The fix is trivial.
It seems to be the case you are covering is when a user does the
following (from /usr/src/)
make build...(s)
go to single user mode (or not)
make install(s)
change to another directory (because I can)
mergemaster
It seems to me that it is consistent that mergemaster would do the
following:
1) am I in "etc"?, yes goto 4
2) does etc exist?, cd etc, goto 4
3) give a warning (like you do with umask)
3) doittoit
If it is going to be a constant used without warning (or documentation)
I think my choice will cause fewer people to have to read the script to
see what you are up to.
If its your baby and can not be changed before your death, that's okay
with me. mergemaster -<whatever> -m "." works just fine. I will not make
the mistake again. I can remember wizor syntax from 1966. I think I made
a case your my "intuition", what you do with it is up to you.
I only took the time to write this because, this has caused me and some
people on questions relatively obscure problems. The obscurity (for me)
being proportional to my experience with FreeBSD. In my last several
(dozen??) upgrades, I simply fixed the resulting problems without
tumbling onto the root (no pun) cause.
On Mon, 1 Jul 2002, Doug Barton wrote:
> Synopsis: mergemaster should use the currend working directory as the default for -m
>
> State-Changed-From-To: open->closed
> State-Changed-By: dougb
> State-Changed-When: Mon Jul 1 19:04:58 PDT 2002
> State-Changed-Why:
>
> Your definition of "counter-intuitive" seems a bit self-serving.
> Given that the vast majority of users have their source trees
> in /usr/src, and given that mm has never required you to be in
> /usr/src to work, it's not reasonable to assume that all of those
> people should change their habits to suit your convenience.
>
> In other words, to change the default at this time would be a
> giant POLA violation, and the -m option already exists to handle
> exactly the case you cite.
>
>
> Responsible-Changed-From-To: freebsd-bugs->dougb
> Responsible-Changed-By: dougb
> Responsible-Changed-When: Mon Jul 1 19:04:58 PDT 2002
> Responsible-Changed-Why:
>
> mergemaster is my baby.
>
> http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/query-pr.cgi?pr=40102
>
_____
Douglas Denault
doug@safeport.com
Voice: 301-469-8766
Fax: 301-469-0601
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