Re: [Boost-build] naive usage of bootstrap.sh

Subject: Re: [Boost-build] naive usage of bootstrap.sh
From: Stefan Seefeld (stefan_at_[hidden])
Date: 2016-10-24 10:40:14

On 23.10.2016 15:55, Robert Ramey wrote:

[...]
> Which looks quite wrong to me.  I expect bootstrap.sh to build some
> boost tools not include things like --show-libraries , without-icu
> etc. I'm now totally confused as to what bootstrap.sh is supposed to do.

I entirely agree. I originally was very confused as it wasn't clear what
that script's job was, but eventually I just got used to it and started
ignoring it.
However, I still think this is wrong, and I entirely agree with Robert
that "bootstrap.sh" should do nothing but prepare the build tool itself,
so all the build-specific parameters should then be added to the
invocation of 'bjam' (or 'b2' or whatever the name of the day is).

Perhaps relatedly: I noticed on my laptop that `bjam` (as installed from
system package "boost-build") would ignore the 'BOOST_BUILD_PATH'
variable. Perhaps 'bootstrap.sh' causes the bjam / b2 executable to have
certain values hard-coded / compiled in, and that such command-line
options as '--prefix' will thus affect which values that are ?
That ought to be documented, at the very least !

Regards,
        Stefan

-- 
      ...ich hab' noch einen Koffer in Berlin...