Re: Multi-OS Makefiles

[Chuck Yerkes <chuck+obsd_(_at_)_2004_(_dot_)_snew_(_dot_)_com>]

Quoting Darren Reed (avalon_(_at_)_cairo_(_dot_)_anu_(_dot_)_edu_(_dot_)_au):
...
> > - use tools like autoconf, cpp ... ?
But to use cpp, you need to know where it is...  autoconf.

For quick and dirty stuff, I use gmake (it compiles on everything).

But this is mainly for makefiles to generate, say, DNS Zone files or a
simple program that doesn't have OS specific things.

And pkgsrc.org gives me a lovely "bmake" (and a decently modern ftp for
Solaris/AIX/VendorOS's with circa 1992 user-lands).

> > - write "intelligent" Makefiles which recognize OS and sets CCFLAGS, 
> > LIBS and so on ?
> This is HARD to get right and almost impossible without the first.

And so 1992 (pre autoconf)

> > - write a shell-script which generates the right Makefile for the OS ?
> This is a poor alternative to using autoconf.

See also PERL's "configure".  Ick ick ick ick.

You skipped "use m4" which is what sendmail does.  More ick.

> Well the answer is really in questions you have to answer.
> A couple of these might be:
> 
> How much work do you want to have to do to make it happen ?
> 
> What do you want your users to have to do in order to compile ?

How big and widespread is the program really?