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This is why I really don't like configure style build systems that automatically enable / disable features. When I want something I explicitly opt-in for it. If

This is why I really don't like configure style build systems that automatically enable / disable features. When I want something I explicitly opt-in for it. If there's good reason for feature to be default, then instead explicitly allow opt-out.

kevincox 3y ago
This is a huge pain when packaging things. You set up the package, add dependencies until it builds and think you are done. But they feature X is missing. What? Oh, it was silently disabled because libY isn't available. Ok, go back and add it. Then a user reports that feature Z isn't available... Yeah, just have a default set of features and allow `--enable-a --disable-b` as needed. The fact that it silently swallows bugs in the check is just another problem of it.
- BobbyTables2 3y ago
  Worse, it enables features based on local system packages whose dependencies aren’t captured by the package dependencies. At least for a time, this was a horrible problem in Yocto.
  - kevincox 3y ago
    I think most distributions use some sort of build sandboxing at this point to avoid this problem and increase reproducibility in general right?
    - Cloudef 3y ago
      Im not aware anything else than nix and guix. Perhaps other distros build in dedicated vms / containers.