Re: serial in branch-1-5 [[and branch-2-0]]

[Ralf Wildenhues]

* Gary V. Vaughan wrote on Tue, Feb 01, 2005 at 05:42:27PM CET:
> Ralf Wildenhues wrote:
> > * Alexandre Duret-Lutz wrote on Tue, Feb 01, 2005 at 03:52:12PM CET:
> > 
> >>|    One reason why you should keep `--install' in the flags even after
> >>| the first run is that when you later edit `configure.ac' and depend on
> >>| a new macro, this macro will be installed in your `m4/' automatically.
> >>| Another one is that serial numbers can be used to update the macros in
> >>| your source tree automatically when new system-wide versions are
> >>| installed.  A serial number should be a single line of the form
> >>| 
> >>|      #serial NNN
> >>| 
> >>| where NNN contains only digits and dots.  It should appear in the M4
> >>| file before any macro definition.  It is a good practice to maintain a
> >>| serial number for each macro you distribute, even if you do not use the
> >>| `--install' option of `aclocal': this allows other people to use it.
> > 
> > 
> > Is there a technical reason to break current nonstandard practice for
> > packages?  Why not
> >    #serial NNNN [garbage-ignored-by-aclocal]
> > ?
> 
> Wait.  I'm confused.
> 
> Have the libtool serial numbers always caused breakage with aclocal?

No.

Well, the numbers with dots in them that branch-2-0 creates have made
problems, but I don't remember if that was with aclocal or something
else.  But you probably knew that (and it is not what I asked above).

> I'm hoping this is just CVS automake, right?

The issue I addressed in last message: Yes.

> If so, I agree with Ralf that breaking compatibility with all released
> libtools in CVS automake is a bad thing.  Please don't!

Just what I'm saying.

> If the breakage is already there, which combination(s) of libtool and
> automake trigger it?  And how can I reproduce it?

All versions of libtool; Automake CVS of less than 3 days ago.

Regards,
Ralf