Re: Autoconf and apt

[Robert Rehammar]

Hi Ralf,

Well, what I mean is, what if a library libfoo is needed to build
program bar. Autotools tries to find the library on the system
(e.g.check /usr/lib, and so on). But if it is not found, then the
program will not compile and configure gives an error, right. Now, if
libfoo is not fond on the system, but the user is running an, say,
apt-system, then chances are that libfoo resides in the repository of
apt.

So the next thing would then be for configure to ask apt to download and
install libfoo, to meet the dependency. This way autotools would
integrate with (e.g.) apt to make installations more smooth. This would
save the user the work to download and install all packages that bar
depends on and that exists in the apt repository.

I home I managed better to communicate my idea now.

Regards,
Robert

tis 2008-08-19 klockan 07:57 +0200 skrev Ralf Wildenhues:
> Hello Robert,
> 
> * Robert Rehammar wrote on Mon, Aug 18, 2008 at 09:26:35PM CEST:
> > 
> > I am wondering if there is any "module" to hook up autotools with the
> > apt package system of e.g. Debian and Ubuntu? Wouldn't this be pretty
> > cool thing. It would even be possible for such a module to call aptitude
> > search and download the available packages if they exists. Probably
> > something similar would be possible for e.g rpm and other package
> > managers as well.
> 
> Do you mean something like dependency information for aclocal/*.m4 third
> party macro files?  If not, then I fail to understand your question,
> please explain in more detail what you're thinking of.
> Certainly autotools packages are packaged along with other Debian/Ubuntu
> packages, and are likewise searchable and installable.
> 
> Cheers,
> Ralf
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Autoconf mailing list
> address@hidden
> http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/autoconf