Re: Build Success on Boost.Python

From: David Abrahams (david.abrahams_at_[hidden])
Date: 2001-07-17 12:13:46

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ullrich Koethe" <koethe_at_[hidden]>
To: "David Abrahams" <david.abrahams_at_[hidden]>
Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2001 12:47 PM
Subject: Build Success on Boost.Python

> Despite the crash on the test build, ftjam has worked on the real thing
> - congratulations ! However, some changes to the jam files were needed:
>
> 1. in gcc-tools.jam: our gcc requires a space after -o (small-o)
> 2. In libs/python/build/Jamfile:
>    a) gcc must not link against libpython*.a - the lib is not compiled
>       with -fPIC, and it's unnecessary anyway (because the python
>       executable is linked against it statically)
>       Solution: remove "PYTHON_LIBS ?=  ;" at line 26
>    b) my dumb sh shell doesn't support
>         export PYTHONPATH=$(PYTHONPATH) at lines 98 and 112
>       Solution: write this in 2 lines
>         PYTHONPATH=$(PYTHONPATH)
>         $(SHELL_EXPORT)PYTHONPATH

Thanks! Why don't you check in your proposed changes on a branch?

> I'd like jam to print the actual command it's executing - is there a
> verbose level to switch this on?

add -d+2 to the command line

> Can I automatically code the platform/OS into the build property path?
> (Normally, the parameters of gcc builds are identical accross platforms,
> so one needs another means to distinguish.)

Are you building on one platform for a different target? I haven't worked
out how that should work, if at all.

One possibility is to just add features.

> The python-paths in Jamfile must be updated manually - are you planning
> to provide a configuration script for automating this?

No, but I do plan to provide an empty "user-setup.jam" file which users (or
configure scripts) can customize for particular installations.

> The Jamfile looks much more complicated than you are claiming in the
> motivation for boost.build ("add simple entries naming the source
> files"). Can this be simplified, or the functionality be absorbed into
> boost-base.jam or allyourbase.jam?

Boost Python has specialized testing needs that don't apply to most other
projects, so the Jamfile is neccessarily more complex. I guess if we could
identify the general-purpose Python debugging stuff and separate it from the
rest, it might be a good idea. I'm open to suggestions.

> (BTW, I'd change the name of allyourbase.jam)

Agreed. I'm supposed to check this stuff into the main trunk soon; I'll try
to clean up some of the organization when I do that.

-Dave