[Boost-build] Request for "--config-file=FILE" to override user-config.jam/site-config.jam

From: Doug Gregor (dgregor_at_[hidden])
Date: 2006-12-12 17:22:13

I have been working on updating the Unix-like configure script to  
work with BBv2. This has become rather more important recently with  
the new Getting Started guide recommending the use of "configure".

With BBv1, the configure script just built up a big command line to  
pass to bjam with all of the configuration parameters.

With BBv2, the configure script needs to generate either a user- 
config.jam or a site-config.jam. The problem is, we don't want to  
overwrite the user's existing configuration, the site configuration,  
or the sample configurations that are a part of bjam.

One hack I can think of would be to create a test-config.jam, but  
that's just a hack. I think the right way to handle this would be for  
BBv2 to support a new command-line option, --config-file=FILE, that  
allows the user to provide the name of an alternate configuration  
file.  Unfortunately, I've been staring at build-system.jam, which  
looks like the place to do it, and I don't understand how we can make  
this happen?

Do we want this feature?
Could someone give me a hint as to how to do this, or---better  
yet---"make it so"?

        Cheers,
        Doug