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Re: autoconf-2.62 doesn't build on RHEL4


From: Ralf Corsepius
Subject: Re: autoconf-2.62 doesn't build on RHEL4
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:24:21 +0200

On Wed, 2008-04-23 at 06:11 -0600, Eric Blake wrote:
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> According to Ralf Corsepius on 4/23/2008 2:44 AM:
> |> Really, we require newer m4 because older versions caused autoconf to
> |> create erroneous configure scripts, and those errors were very difficult
> |> to diagnose.  Not to make life harder for you.
> | It might be inconvenient to you but reality simply is as simple as:
> | Autoconf-2.62 has proven to miss its objective: portability.
> 
> Wait a minute.  You are still mixing apples and oranges.
I don't think I am. It's as simple as this: You broke autoconf's
portability and usability.

Autoconf has regressed from once having been a portable tool into one of
amoungst many GNU-centric proprietary tools - It's the defect many
people have accused the autotools for for many years - You proved them
to be right.


>   Autoconf's
> objective is to output portable configure scripts, and this triumphs over
> any concerns about being portable itself.  The reason that Autoconf itself
> uses non-portable tools such as new enough GNU m4 and perl, in spite of
> the GNU Coding Standards stating that these tools are not to be used in
> building portable programs, is that it was decided long ago that
> developers are smart enough to install proper prerequisites if they want
> to then generate something that DOES comply with GCS for their end users.
I am well aware about this statement: Ask yourself why the perl in (esp.
automake) is frozen to an ancient perl-standard and did not adopt
"modern perl dialects".

Adopting modern perl would have essentially the same impact as
autoconf-2.62+gm4 has, except that upgrading perl is not as trivial as
it is to upgrade gm4.

Let's stop this thread here. I don't think, it will anywhere.

Ralf






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