Re: [boost] Switch to CMake -- Analysis

Subject: Re: [boost] Switch to CMake -- Analysis
From: Andrey Semashev (andrey.semashev_at_[hidden])
Date: 2017-07-21 19:17:48

On 07/21/17 21:57, Zach Laine via Boost wrote:
> On Fri, Jul 21, 2017 at 1:47 PM, Joseph Van Riper via Boost <
> boost_at_[hidden]> wrote:
> 
>> On Fri, Jul 21, 2017 at 1:24 PM Andrey Semashev via Boost <
>> boost_at_[hidden]> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> Actually, as a user I do care and not in favor of CMake because there is
>>> always a possibility that Boost requires a newer CMake version that is
>>> not available on my platform.
>>>
>>
>> This, too, concerns me.
>>
>> b2 builds on everything, and is included in every boost distribution.  It
>> is apparently built with such consideration that I can use it on
>> ridiculously old versions of gcc without breaking a sweat.
>>
> 
> Again, CMake builds everywhere too.  The latest version is 7.3MB.  I don't
> think this particular issue is anything to worry about -- if people still
> want a bootstrapping Boost+CMake, it's trivial to do so.

Downloading and installing binaries from the Internet is not a 
recommended practice in Linux world and not only there. In some 
environments this is simply not an option. So often you're stuck with 
the versions provided with your distro or the versions you build 
yourself. Building often pulls other dependencies, which may not be 
recent enough, so the amount of work piles up.