Re: [Boost-users] Cannot build Boost

Subject: Re: [Boost-users] Cannot build Boost
From: Ondřej Majerech (oxyd.oxyd_at_[hidden])
Date: 2010-11-28 13:59:15

On 28 November 2010 19:33, Vladimir Prus <vladimir_at_[hidden]> wrote:
> Ondřej Majerech wrote:
>
>> On 27 November 2010 07:43, Vladimir Prus <vladimir_at_[hidden]> wrote:
>>> Greg Ward wrote:
>>>> So: how do you build boost 1.45 with 1) a custom compiler
>>>
>>> The same way as 1.44:
>>>
>>> ./bootstrap.sh
>>> edit ./project-config.jam to specify your new compiler.
>>> ./bjam toolset=whatever-version
>>
>> That's excellent. I wish I'd known that before I started building Boost my way.
>>
>> Can this be put into the documentation, please? Preferrably into the
>> Getting Started guide.
>
> This *is* in the getting started guide. It appears that you're not the first
> one to miss that though, which suggests that the "Simplified build from source"
> section should be renamed to "Build from source" section and somewhat
> expanded, while the current
> "Build from source" section should be remained "How to build from source
> if you have really quirky requirements" and somewhat reduced. I'll try to
> do that for 1.46.

I'm sorry, but the guide nowhere mentions that the Simplified Build
method can be used with non-standard compiler and it also nowhere even
suggests editing ./project-config.jam to suit the target environment.

I think that expanding the Simplified Build part to include these
things would indeed help a lot. On the other hand, I think the Build
from Source If You Have Really Quirky Requirements part should also be
expanded to at least mention that users are expected to use bjam and
Boost.Build that are bundled in the tarball instead of using those
from separate downloads.

If you insist that these things already are in the documentation then
please show me because I still don't believe you. Perhaps the guide
assumes some deeper knowledge of the building process and that a user
will be aware of the fact they can use the simple method with a little
tweak to ./project-config.jam most of the times? I don't think a
Getting Started guide should assume that as people who are already
familiar with these things probably don't need a beginner's guide at
all.

I'm trying to be constructive here. And if I'm not the only to miss
these bits then that indicates there's still a room for improvement.

Ondra