3 ms·
Producing a different configuration for every system is not the whole point of autotools. Rather, autotools is generally used as a way to configure semi-standa
by jparise 16y ago
Producing a different configuration for every system is not the whole point of autotools. Rather, autotools is generally used as a way to configure semi-standard-but-implementation-specific functionality across different platforms, such as locating <stat.h> or determining the platform's word size.
It also gives users a familiar way to optionally enable features at build time, such as choosing between MySQL and PostgreSQL support, as opposed to requiring the user to edit some Makefiles and twiddle some #define's manually.
- cperciva 16y agosuch as locating <stat.h> POSIX says that it's <sys/stat.h>. Problem solved. determining the platform's word size sizeof(size_t). Problem solved.
- nuxi 16y agoNot that I'm defending autoconf (I dislike it a lot), but POSIX is also ignorant sometimes, so it shouldn't be treated dogmatically - e.g., google for the socklen_t confusion. Other than that, the real world isn't black and white either. Although many unixen claim to be POSIX compliant, based on my experience they are mostly POSIX-ish. And there's also no guarantee for sizeof(size_t) being a platform's word size.
- __david__ 16y ago> POSIX says that it's <sys/stat.h>. Problem solved. Sadly what POSIX says is cold comfort when you're trying to compile something and the computer in front of you has put stat.h somewhere else.