Mac problem(?), new build, --with-debug-level=slowdebug

[David Chase]

Just a nit, but configure is quite happy to use the PATH environment variable, not that it mentions this anywhere in the output of "sh configure help".  Yes, I know that PATH is implicit, yes, I know that I am complaining about Unix documentation, yes I know that the new build system is in fact still new, and yes I know that the people who write documentation never get the time/respect that they deserve.

Also note that the output of "sh configure -help" uses the word "PATH" to refer to the directory value for whatever option is currently being described, as in:

  --with-cups             specify prefix directory for the cups package
                          (expecting the headers under PATH/include)

Probably best not to do that.

Long term it would be good to rationalize both configure and make w.r.t. to documentation and flags.

Sample problem #1 (does the documentation tell us this?) how do I specify a flag to the assembler?
Sample problem #2 (does the documentation tell us this?) how do I specify a particular compiler for Objective C source?

(I "solved" sample problem #1 with find, grep, and trial and error.  I have not solved sample problem #2.)

David


On 2013-01-14, at 4:10 AM, Erik Joelsson <erik.joelsson at oracle.com> wrote:

> Hello,
> 
> The help text produced by autoconf is part specific to our scripts and part is standard autoconf stuff. The variable section is part of the standard help. It's bad that the script isn't behaving as the help text suggests and we should try to fix that if possible. We definitely need to review the documentation.
> 
> We have avoided letting environment variables affect configure. The reason is reproducibility, we want to force configuration options to the command line so that it's obvious someone put them there for a reason, rather than something hidden in the environment secretly changing things. For this issue I'm not sure which would be the best solution. It could use some discussion.
> 
> /Erik
>