Re: [boost] Re: Why Jam?

From: Peter Dimov (pdimov_at_[hidden])
Date: 2002-02-25 11:37:07

From: "Braden McDaniel" <braden_at_[hidden]>
> On Mon, 2002-02-25 at 06:36, Peter Dimov wrote:
> > From: "Braden McDaniel" <braden_at_[hidden]>
> > * Installation
> >
> > >         * If my open source project depends on Boost, how am I
supposed
> > >           to tell my users to install Boost?
> >
> > This is pretty easy. You tell them to add -I ~/boost to the command
line.
> > :-)
>
> Weak.

Weak or not, it works.

> And this does not facilitate the creation of binary packages for
> boost the way a "make install" does. RPMs are a lot easier to make and
> maintain if a package has a sane "make install". Ideally, Boost binary
> packages would be included with my users' OS distributions. That won't
> happen overnight, but "make install" is a way of oiling the gears.

I don't see why it's necessary to have a 'make install' in order to make a
boost RPM, but it must be my ignorance.

> There needs to be a "standard" place that Boost lives on systems. Only
> users who install Boost to a nonstandard prefix should have to worry
> about explicitly chasing it down every time they build a project that
> depends on it.

I don't remember anybody arguing against that. Users are free to unpack
boost in whatever place is considered standard on their platform.

> > Either that, or _your_ configure script does that automatically.
> > (configure --with-boost=~/boost, defaults to
> > $(my_open_src_project_root)/include/boost, presumably.)
>
> So you're suggesting it's reasonable for me to include a copy of Boost
> in my project's distribution? Try again.

Yes, I am suggesting exactly that. Some projects will include a copy of the
version of Boost (minus .jpg/.pdf/whatever files) against which they've been
tested.

Other projects will prefer not to include a copy of Boost.

Either way, it's ./configure --with-boost[=location], with the appropriate
default.

> It bloats my project's
> distribution and, more importantly, it's a maintenance nightmare.

Not including boost may turn out to be a maintenance nightmare as well.
(Although we try hard to ensure that releases are backward compatible, slips
do happen.)

Anyway, it's your choice.