Re: [gentoo-dev] Re: [gentoo-dev-announce] debug USE flag misuse

[Alec Warner]

On Thu, Jul 1, 2010 at 3:14 PM, Vaeth <vaeth@××××××××××××××××××××××××.de> wrote:
> Nikos Chantziaras <realnc@×××××.de> wrote:
>>
>> If you use portage than you can control per-package CFLAGS using
>> bashrc and /etc/portage/env or similar functionality.
>
> This is correct, but the problem is that an ebuild author or
> upstream cannot set a "default" here:  IMHO, it shouldn't be
> necessary for the user to use such things only in order to
> compile a package with the CFLAGS which upstream recommends.
> Normally, users will not read such a recommendation (and in fact,
> they shouldn't have to, since reading INSTALL or similar things
> should be the task of the ebuild author).

I am confused.  If you want the users to use a default set of CFLAGS
you should set this in your build system (autotools, cmake, whatever).

http://www.mail-archive.com/autoconf@×××.org/msg14303.html

I believe the above link seems to describe what you are looking to do
using autotools.  Obviously if a user specifies a flag that over-rides
your own flags; the user's flags will take precedence.  However this
is intentional behavior.  I could totally be misunderstanding
autotools as well; I haven't written any in about four years.

-A

>
> Speaking from the author's perspective: There should be a way
> to write code appropriate for a specific compiler flag and to
> assume that most users will then actually compile the package
> with the corresponding flag.
> If a user explicitly does not want to do this, this is fine,
> but the ebuild should have a way to make sure that this only
> happens if it is really the intention of the user.
> Normally, USE flags are the way to pass options to the
> user, aren't they?
>
> Best Regards
> Martin Väth
>