Date: Sun, 19 Dec 2004 01:14:48 -0800 From: "Ted Mittelstaedt" <tedm@toybox.placo.com> To: "Jonathon McKitrick" <jcm@FreeBSD-uk.eu.org>, "Matthias Buelow" <mkb@mukappabeta.de> Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: RE: BSD equivalents of autoconf, automake, etc. Message-ID: <LOBBIFDAGNMAMLGJJCKNAEMKEPAA.tedm@toybox.placo.com> In-Reply-To: <20041217235243.GA89288@dogma.freebsd-uk.eu.org>
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> -----Original Message----- > From: owner-freebsd-questions@freebsd.org > [mailto:owner-freebsd-questions@freebsd.org]On Behalf Of Jonathon > McKitrick > Sent: Friday, December 17, 2004 3:53 PM > To: Matthias Buelow > Cc: Giorgos Keramidas; freebsd-questions@freebsd.org > Subject: Re: BSD equivalents of autoconf, automake, etc. > > Besides, it will need a professional looking/acting installation > script when > it is done, and it will have to work on both platforms. > WHY? Today, the Linux and FreeBSD worlds have gone the way of Windows - the average user no longer knows how to compile software. Today, they either spend time fetching rpm's or they use the FreeBSD ports directories which does all that for them. The 'configure' script was useful at one time when there were lots of different UNIXes but today it's an anachronism, and just wastes development time for debugging configure. I have seen many configure scripts blow up with bugs or build makefiles that create uncompilable software. You don't need an install script. Whomever is building the RPM or whomever is creating the FreeBSD port has their own ideas of where they want things to be installed and has no interest in interference from you. Keep it Simple Stupid. A Makefile that has options settible by editing with a text editor, and a nice readme file that tells what all the settible options are, is infinitely superior than all the configure crap. That is all that the RPM and ports creators want from you. And the end users don't even want to compile your stuff in the first place, let alone see it's install script. Ted
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