Re: [pcre-dev] Missing files in SVN

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Author: Philip Hazel
Date:  
To: danielg
CC: pcre-dev
Subject: Re: [pcre-dev] Missing files in SVN
On Mon, 22 Oct 2012, Daniel Richard G. wrote:

> > No idea about the config.h.generic failure though; I just get
> >
> > make: ***No rule to make target `config.h.generic', needed by `distdir'.
> > Stop.
>
> This is why I was pushing to move the generation of config.h.generic into the
> top-level makefile, and out of the PrepareRelease script. See this thread:
>
>     https://lists.exim.org/lurker/thread/20120723.205919.bf7f9461.en.html


The problem I have with this is that there is a circularity.

. You can't run "make anything" until you have run configure.

. You need to run configure with default options before creating
config.h.generic ... because that's what it is. It is the default
config.h. It is provided for people who build PCRE "by hand" without
using configure or CMake.

. Therefore, logically, "make config.h.generic" should first of all run
"./configure", but of course you can't re-run configure from within a
makefile created by configure because it re-creates that very
makefile. (And it would also mess up your existing configuration.)

If "make config.h.generic" just does stuff without running configure,
the resulting config.h.generic will contain whatever the current
configuration is, which may not be the default.

Currently config.h.generic is created, essentially by hand, in the
script PrepareRelease. A basic configure is done and then the generic
files config.h.generic and pcre.h.generic are created. When I run this
script, I know I am going to destroy my existing configuration (and the
script outputs comments to say so, as well).

Philip

--
Philip Hazel