Autotoold - Re: [SDL] EVERYONE READ PLEASE!

[David Olofson]

On Wednesday 23 January 2002 16:14, Mads Bondo Dydensborg wrote:
> On Wed, 23 Jan 2002, David Olofson wrote:
> > > > My makefile don't work yet but I'm reading "GNU autoconf,
> > > > automake and libtool" so
> > > > it 'll work soon ;)  (So i'm still compiling with a 1 miles long
> > > > g++ command...)
>
> Note that this book is also available online.
>
> > I fully agree - that autoconf/automake stuff can scare even
> > experienced hackers away... *heh*
>
> The secret is to learn automake AND autoconf _at the same time_, and
> ignore all the stuff in the autoconf info files about how to construct
> your makefile.in's.

Yep, I figured that out after a while. Pretty easy when you get the idea 
- but getting all tests and stuff right is still a bit hairy.

[...]

> > > set up to compile SDL programs using G++. I think the guy who
> > > invented Make was the first and only person to actually write a
> > > makefile. Everyone else just copies one they found sitting around
> > > on disk some where and editted it for their own use.
> >
> > But... I've actualy written a few from scratch. Am I insane? ;-)
>
> Nah, I have done that as well. It is a skill I am quickly forgetting
> though. Only really relevant when you have to do _very_ tricky things,
> like crosscompiling with non-gnu tools, and stuff like that.

As I've switched to autoconf/automake, I'm only using "hand written" 
makefiles for managing the source tree of our old DOS application at 
work. (It's still compiled on the old Borland C++, but I'm using some 
custom Linux tools to create compact symbol tables and the like, and I 
have targets for making boot floppies and release packages and that kind 
of stuff.)

Now I'm porting the mess to DJGPP, so soon I can use *real* tools the 
whole way. :-)


> Mads
>
> P.S. Make no mistake, I am no autotools guru - I have just found it to
> be simpler than its rumours. Most guides/tutorials try to do _way_ to
> many things at a time.

I have to agree. I had some problems finding out where to start (the 
included docs are pretty confusing, as they seem to assume that you're 
going to start out with automake and then add autoconf on top of it or 
something), but I'm not going back to writing makefiles - not even for 
very small "projects".


//David Olofson --- Programmer, Reologica Instruments AB

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.- David Olofson -------------------------------------------.
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