[bug #19448] Re-exec after "include file rebuild" is more dependent on filesystem timestamps than strictly necessary.

[Paul D. Smith]

Follow-up Comment #6, bug #19448 (project make):

In fact, your original idea of passing -W <foo> for each included file "foo"
so that the re-invoked make would realize it should not be built again WAS
implemented (by me) in an earlier version of GNU make.

However, it lasted only a few days out in the wild, because it immediately
hit build environments where many hundreds or even thousands of files were
included... and the re-exec of make failed because the environment was not
sufficiently large to be able to pass all those options through exec!

Considering there is really no way to ensure that you have enough space for
all possible uses, I took that code back out and reverted to the original
(and still current) behavior.

However, recently a new suggestion has been made which would enhance make to
understand "@-files", which are apparently becoming more common even on some
UNIX platforms as a way to pass large numbers of arguments.  If that feature
was added to GNU make then make could take advantage of it to propagate the
-W flags in a way that wouldn't blow out the environment.  See patch #5809

    _______________________________________________________

Reply to this item at:

  <http://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?19448>

_______________________________________________
  Message sent via/by Savannah
  http://savannah.gnu.org/