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Date:      Fri, 20 May 2005 01:00:59 -0700
From:      Ade Lovett <ade@freebsd.org>
To:        Stijn Hoop <stijn@win.tue.nl>
Cc:        freebsd-ports@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: Disabling dependency on esound in ports builds
Message-ID:  <24E0B4F7-C17F-4038-A4D4-3936FE3BF4E0@freebsd.org>
In-Reply-To: <20050520074620.GB95023@pcwin002.win.tue.nl>
References:  <20050518234933.05e2584b@dolphin.local.net> <20050519183922.GB6978@xor.obsecurity.org> <CFC68145-1928-4984-BCB5-6019CB893C89@FreeBSD.org> <20050520074620.GB95023@pcwin002.win.tue.nl>

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On May 20, 2005, at 00:46 , Stijn Hoop wrote:
> I do know the reason why this kind of code was added: it was
> considered incorrect behaviour that port A would NOT automatically
> pick up support for library B if it was installed by the user.

That's more an artefact of configure scripts especially being coded  
to simply check for the mere existence of a library in order to use  
it, instead of the more correct approach of explicitly requesting -- 
enable-foo (or equivalent).

Bringing in all the necessary hacks to only activate extra code if  
the user (or port Makefile) has explicitly requested it is (at best)  
an awkward task.  It's considerably easier to give up and go with the  
exists() constructs which, as I've mentioned, do (in most cases) at  
least register the dependency.

> [...] and considering reproducible package building

This right here hits the nail right on the head.  exists()  
constructs, acting as the bandaids they are around poorly written  
configuration scripts, can, and do, cause problems for building and  
distributing packages in anything but an absolute virgin environment.

-aDe



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