Re: [Xotcl] Re: Status of the bugs I reported/could people resend their replies to those bugs

From: Jim Lynch <jim_at_jam.sessionsnet.org>
Date: Sat, 10 Apr 2004 22:24:44 -0700

Hi Gustaf and group,

On Sat, 10 Apr 2004 22:52:39 +0200
"Gustaf Neumann" <neumann_at_wu-wien.ac.at> wrote:

> On Tuesday 06 April 2004 16:06, Jim Lynch wrote:
>

(this is actually Gustaf talking here, I think)
 
> > > Therefore, i have named the configure switch
> > > --with-aolserver3=AOL_INCLUDE_DIR
> > > where you have to specify the include directory.
> >
> > Suggestion, howbout the prefix dir instead? That way, any time you add
> > dependendency on another kind of thing, you already planned for the
> > stem dir.
>
> there might be cases, where the prefix of xotcl is not the same
> as the aoldirectory. On my system, i have for tcl and xotcl
> --prefix=/usr and for the aolserver (the default) /usr/local
>
> > Besides, if this switch is to represent the include dir, it
> > is misnamed, and should be named something like --with-aolserver-inc=.
>
> well. by using --with-aolserver3 you tell xotcl, that it should build the
> aolserver 3.* type c module, and you tell it at the same time, where
> to find the includes. therefor i think --with-aolserver3 is still better.

Well, of course I meant the aolserver prefix :) The includes should be
right there, in <the-aolserver-prefix>/include. Do you not also need
the aolserver libs? It's feasible you might in the future.

> > > well, can you be more specific, where this happens?
> > > XOTcl uses in configure.in SC_PROC_TCLSH
> > > and uses in all the Makefiles $TCLSH_PROG as far i can see.
> > > What version of xotcl are you working with?
> >
> > I'm using xotcl-1.2.0; my situation is I'm building using a tcl
> > I built specifically for an aolserver4. It's not the system tcl
> > and its bin dir is not in my path.
>
> if you only want to build xotcl, you need no tclsh at all (tclsh is used
> only for doc generation, testing, installing). If you build for aolserver 4
> you need in the minimal version
> # cd xotcl-1.2.0/unix
> ./configure --enable-threads \
> --prefix=/usr/local/aolserver \
> --with-tcl=/usr/src/tcl8.4.5/unix
> # make libxotcl1.2.so
> # make install-aol
>
> everything including "make libxotcl1.2.so" should be fine without
> a tclsh. the "make install-aol" uses a tclsh to load xotcl (for a minor
> purpose, to rebuild the pkgIndex files). If you comment out
> the last line of the "libraries:" rule in unix/Makefile,
> you should be fine.

See though, the whole point is not having to edit anything... Having to
do so implies C-based clue, which while you could assume it 20 years
ago, is just not the case among unix-alike users anymore, and note
carefully that this group especially includes people who want to use
xotcl.

I want to give them at least two things:

one, an ability to compile xotcl in more situations than is now possible
due to the fact that the configure process only half-works;

and two, where it isn't possible in a particular situation, I want to
issue a meaningful error message so that they will know the real
problem.

One requirement for this, is to find problems as early as when and where
they originally occured; it is there that the most information on
whatever problem might exist would be available: once you throw the
error up the call chain, you lose everything in the stack frame... if an
error which should stop the configure process is overlooked, the
configure step could appear successful, and might stop the make or some
step the make invokes.

> -gustaf

-Jim

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