Re: [Bug-guile-ncurses] Bug report, from guile-ncurses, make check

[Jean Louis]

On Sun, Nov 13, 2016 at 08:53:43AM +0100, John Darrington wrote:
> On Sun, Nov 13, 2016 at 09:31:30AM +0300, Jean Louis wrote:
>      On Sun, Nov 13, 2016 at 08:18:18AM +0300, Jean Louis wrote:
>      > Another thing, if I give to ./configure --prefix=/somewhere/else, it
>      > still asks guile where to install itself. In my opinion it should not,
>      > as --prefix is enough of a command telling it to install somewhere
>      > else. So I need to add the command: --with-gnu-filesystem-hierarchy
>      > that --prefix work. For me is that incorrect and not necessary.
>      > 
>      > Further, I did not find references to "GNU Filesystem Hierarchy". I
>      > wish I could have it. What is it? Where is it? I am not following the
>      > FSH and building a system from source, so this may be interesting or
>      > not. 
>      
>      The above shall be corrected to be in accordance with GNU Coding
>      Standards: https://www.gnu.org/prep/standards/standards.html
>      
>      I am using GNU Stow, so packages get placed in /package, and /usr is
>      created by using symlinks, and I don't expect to have additional
>      configuration like --with-gnu-filesystem-hierarchy in order for
>      --prefix to work. --prefix alone should be enough.
>      
>      I guess that option --with-gnu-filesystem-hierarchy including the help
>      output from ./configure --help in regards to "GNU Filesystem
>      Hierarchy" shall be removed. GNU systems shall be free of some imposed
>      standards or rules. That is why there is --prefix and other directory
>      specifications, so that everybody can freely decide where and how to
>      install packages.
>      
> 
> I tend to agree with Jean's point of view, but wouldn't have put it so 
> strongly.
> 
> I think it non-optimal, that even after passing --prefix=$HOME/xxxx to
> configure, then make install fails due to lack of write permission on
> /usr/local/share/guile/site.
> 
> So I agree that the behviour under --with-gnu-filesystem-hierarchy ought
> to be the default and the user should pass --without-... if they
> don't want that.    But I'm happy for the option to exist, if users outside
> GNU find it usefull.
> 
> Just my $0.02
> 
> J'

I am sorry, that what I write sounds strong. I am in reality friendly.

I don't mind of any additional peculiar options.

But when --prefix does not work, this is endangering the operating
system. The software would be installed where it was not intended. So
what is the point of --prefix if it does not work?

Breaking --prefix not to work, and to work only with additional option
is really danger for me. If I would not do it by hand, I would get
unexpected result. And I have to put special attention on one package,
instead that package is consistent with the GNU coding standard.

Not everyone is just using one version of software on the system.

Jean Louis