bug#36681: Feature Request: Option to build Emacs without byte-compilation.

[Noam Postavsky]

Keith David Bershatsky <esq@lawlist.com> writes:

> --without-makeinfo
>
> GEN      ../../info/elisp.info
> /c/docume~1/admini~1/desktop/emacs/doc/lispref//display.texi:5740: `SVG Path 
> Commands' has no Up field (perhaps incorrect sectioning?).

As I mentioned on the emacs-devel thread, the fact that you are building
info even though you've specified --without-makeinfo suggests something
has gone badly wrong.

> However, the build failed much sooner than expected using 'make -C src
> emacs' as reflected in the above-mentioned linked gist.

It looks like you have messed up timestamps which are confusing make.  I
suggest trying again after 'make clean'.  But note that on master, you
should use 'make -C src emacs.pdmp' (see
https://debbugs.gnu.org/36369#38).

> In the above example, it would be nice to reach the above-mentioned
> `SVG Path Commands' build-bug error in less than 45 minutes.

I wouldn't be sure that skipping elc building entirely would be a win,
since some of the build requires running the Emacs, and an Emacs using
.el files instead of .elc files would be slower.

> As to the multi-thread suggestion, I'll need to do some reading to see
> if any of my antiquated machines and antiquated OSes support such an
> option.

If you have a GNU Make recent enough to build Emacs, then you have
support for the option.  Whether it actually speeds up the build depends
on how many cores you have, I guess.