Re: maintainer-makefile vs vc-list-files/useless-if-before-free

[Eric Blake]

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According to Simon Josefsson on 4/27/2009 3:39 AM:
> 
> The patch below makes the error messages better.  Ok to push?

No.  You aren't fixing the real bug.

> 
> I prefer that maintainer-makefile do not depend on vc-list-files and
> useless-if-before-free modules: not every use of maint.mk requires
> syntax-check to work, and not every use of syntax-check needs
> useless-if-before-free tests.

I agree with this point.

> -VC_LIST = $(gnulib_dir)/build-aux/vc-list-files -C $(srcdir)
> +VC_LIST_FILES ?= $(gnulib_dir)/build-aux/vc-list-files
> +VC_LIST = $(VC_LIST_FILES) -C $(srcdir)

The real bug is that $(gnulib_dir) is expanding to the empty string, but
we aren't checking that fact.  The intent is that your cfg.mk should point
to the location where you expect to find a fresh gnulib checkout, so that
you DON'T have to add a dependency on vc-list-files or
useless-if-before-free.  Using maint.mk from gnulib implies that you have
gnulib installed, which is why I was okay writing it in this way.

Hmm, maybe maint.mk should provide a default value of $(gnulib_dir) as
gnulib (assuming that you use it as a git submodule, the way bison,
coreutils, and m4 currently do), while still allowing a cfg.mk override
(the way autoconf currently does).

- --
Don't work too hard, make some time for fun as well!

Eric Blake             address@hidden
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