Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!decwrl!jumbo!jg
From: jg@jumbo.dec.com (Jim Gettys)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Subject: Re: trouble making R3 on a sun
Message-ID: <13471@jumbo.dec.com>
Date: 14 Dec 88 05:52:11 GMT
References: <2567@rtech.rtech.com> <8812091617.AA10851@EXPO.LCS.MIT.EDU> <14644@lll-winken.llnl.gov>
Reply-To: jg@jumbo.UUCP (Jim Gettys)
Organization: DEC Systems Research Center, Palo Alto
Lines: 38

In article <14644@lll-winken.llnl.gov> casey@lll-crg.llnl.gov.UUCP (Casey Leedom) writes:
>| From: sid@friday.rtech.UUCP (Sid Shapiro)
>| 
>| Hi folks, I'm trying to make R3 on a sun.  In site.def it says that it is
>| strongly recommended that I don't override any directory definitions.
>| Naturally, I need to do this.  [Details of problems changing the default
>| directories.]
>
>  I didn't have any problems, but I do think that the ``... you shouldn't
>change where things are installed ... use links ...'' is completely absurd
>and a disservice to people trying to install X.  The plain fact of the
>matter is that almost NO ONE wants X where the defaults specify.
>
>  For instance, I have to maintain five Sun clusters currently.  In order
>to keep ourselves sane, we put EVERYTHING below /usr/local on one of the
>systems and then do rdists of everything except source to all the other
>systems.  It isn't a big thing, but it's a clean up for us and keeps our
>lives a lot simpler.
>
>  But, aside from the abuse about that comment, I have to say that X has
>become one of the easiest packages to retarget I've ever dealt with.
>V11R3 has come a long way since the grodey days of V10R3.  Apparently
>David Tillbrooks comments on software retargeting/installation are
>finally being paid attention to.
>
>Casey

The credit goes to Todd Brunhoff of Tektronix, who designed
and built Imake and the basic distribution technology.  My hat as always
is off to Todd.  Having done the V10 releases, I know how hard it is.

I would like, however, to make a plea to people to use Imake in their
X development, particularly if you have plans to contribute your code
to others.  Besides simplifying your job once you've learned to
use it over raw seething make (Imakefiles are much shorter than
the makefiles you'd otherwise maintain), it will help everyone you give your
code to.

					- Jim Gettys