Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!snorkelwacker!think!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!uflorida!usfvax2!tct!chip From: chip@tct.uucp (Chip Salzenberg) Newsgroups: news.software.b Subject: Re: Peter's gripes Message-ID: <25D04611.6AB9@tct.uucp> Date: 7 Feb 90 16:00:17 GMT References: <519@smcnet.UUCP> <1990Jan30.041541.23578@elroy.jpl.nasa.gov> <572@sci34hub.UUCP> <1990Feb4.222953.19169@utzoo.uucp> <6702@celit.fps.com> <1990Feb7.042106.20743@utstat.uucp> Organization: ComDev/TCT, Sarasota, FL Lines: 23 According to geoff@utstat.uucp (Geoff Collyer): >Those of you who can't understand subtlety, read this: Configure is >the wrong approach and we aren't going to adopt it. build has problems, >which we are working on, but Configure is a symptom, not a cure. I fear that Geoff, and many others, seem to be confusing two aspects of Configure: 1. Shell script that creates config.sh, generates many files based on config.sh, and can remember old answers. Generated easily with the "metaconfig" program. 2. Typical contents of Configure, which runs "nm" on C libraries, looks around for locations of executables, etc. Aspect #1 of Configure is applicable to C News and consistent with its philosophy. Aspect #2 of Configure is *optional*. Geoff and Henry, no matter what you think of aspect #2 of Configure, I'd suggest you take another look. You can use Larry Wall's technology without buying into his philosophy. -- Chip Salzenberg at ComDev/TCT , "The Usenet, in a very real sense, does not exist."