enabling/disabling features (Was Re: RE Questions with Auke Kok)

[Florin Braescu]

--- Couannette <couannette at free.fr> wrote:

> Off topic : that was not my intention to study
> dependencies in this 
> case. Just to give an example of a complex system.
> ;-)
> 
> In topic : Not all dependencies can become
> "optional". I agree. Simply 
> because theses deps are required for proper
> function. But I'm thinking 
> about optional ones : dependencies that add a
> feature or add support for 
> optional things...
> 
> Optional dependencies everty time its possible, i.e.
> when such software 
> isn't necessary, when it's possible to have another
> dep that make the 
> same thing, etc...
> 

Hi,

I can easilly understand what you want to say. It's an
interesting idea, but in that case autoconf must be
replaced with something else. That's because it detect
any installed library and, if there is not present a
permitted --disable-<feature> in the configure command
it will force the use of a detected library. I think
you may take a look at the cons, a perl based, make
replacement system at www.dsmit.com/cons. There is
another alternative, python based, named aap at
www.a-a-p.org. 

Regards,
  Florin


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