[plt-dev] in-place build directory (was re: build error with svn 14677)

On May 1, 2009, at 2:34 PM, Carl Eastlund wrote:

> That doesn't suggest creating a directory called "build" directly
> under the "src" directory, nor is that explanation in a prominent
> place.  The specific choice of "src/build" is supported by the
> svn:ignore property in src/, for instance -- not all choices of build
> directory are equal.  And this explanation comes after the initial
> description of the "configure" command, despite the need for "mkdir
> build" to come before it.  So I think it's somewhat out of order.
>
> For most purposes, someone making a default, in-place build can just
> read the first paragraph of each step, maybe skim the rest for
> platform-specific "gotchas", and move on.  I know it's important to
> read the whole thing, but that doesn't mean everybody will.  I think
> those first-paragraphs should spell out a common path to an in-place
> build, and currently the "mkdir build ; cd build" step is missing.

Hmm... sounds like you're volunteering, to me! :)

John


> --Carl
>
> On Fri, May 1, 2009 at 5:26 PM, Jay McCarthy  
> <jay.mccarthy at gmail.com> wrote:
>> It's already there:
>>
>>  The `configure' script generates the makefiles for building
>>    MzScheme and/or MrEd. The current directory at the time
>>    `configure' is run will be used as working space for building the
>>    executables (independent of --prefix). This build directory does
>>    not have to be in the source tree, even for an "in-place"
>>    build. It's ok to run `configure' from its own directory (as in
>>    the example above), but it's often better to pick a separate build
>>    directory that is otherwise empty.
>>
>> Jay
>>
>> On Fri, May 1, 2009 at 3:17 PM, Carl Eastlund <carl.eastlund at gmail.com 
>> > wrote:
>>> Can we please add this advice to the src/README file?  There are so
>>> many esoteric options explained in there, but the one thing that
>>> doesn't show up is our convention of creating the src/build/  
>>> directory
>>> for in-place builds.  New developers shouldn't have to learn this
>>> practice by word-of-mouth.
>>>
>>> This is important enough -- and the README file detailed enough --
>>> that we may even want a step between the current 0 (remove old PLT
>>> installation) and 1 (run configure) for creating/choosing a build
>>> directory, including a default suggestion of src/build/ and followed
>>> up by some of the discussion currently under configure.  Otherwise
>>> users trying for a "quick-start in-place build" may miss the
>>> discussion currently buried at the end of the "configure" section.
>>>
>>> --Carl
>>>
>>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>>> From: Eli Barzilay <eli at barzilay.org>
>>> Date: Fri, May 1, 2009 at 5:07 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [plt-scheme] build error with svn 14677
>>> To: Robby Findler <robby at eecs.northwestern.edu>
>>> Cc: Doug Orleans <dougorleans at gmail.com>, plt-scheme at list.cs.brown.edu
>>>
>>>
>>> On May  1, Robby Findler wrote:
>>>> The svn tree is the latest, but the Makefiles are not guaranteed to
>>>> always get the right dependencies. They usually work, but if you  
>>>> see
>>>> problems, best thing is to just blow away the build directory and
>>>> try again. (And if you see a configure script change or a
>>>> Makefile.in changes, then probably best to not even try.)
>>>
>>> Right.  To make it *much* better, you should never build the source
>>> tree in place -- that is, don't do this:
>>>
>>>  cd .../plt/src
>>>  ./configure
>>>  make
>>>  make install
>>>
>>> Do this instead:
>>>
>>>  cd .../plt/src
>>>  mkdir build
>>>  cd build
>>>  ../configure
>>>  make
>>>  make install
>>>
>>> This point is not specific to PLT -- it's generally healthier to do
>>> this for any autoconf-based build.
>>>
>>> --
>>>          ((lambda (x) (x x)) (lambda (x) (x x)))          Eli  
>>> Barzilay:
>>>                  http://www.barzilay.org/                 Maze is  
>>> Life!
>>> _________________________________________________
>>>  For list-related administrative tasks:
>>>  http://list.cs.brown.edu/mailman/listinfo/plt-dev
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Jay McCarthy <jay at cs.byu.edu>
>> Assistant Professor / Brigham Young University
>> http://teammccarthy.org/jay
>>
>> "The glory of God is Intelligence" - D&C 93
> _________________________________________________
>  For list-related administrative tasks:
>  http://list.cs.brown.edu/mailman/listinfo/plt-dev

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