Re: [Bug-apl] Bug: ./configure --without-libapl still wants to compile library

[Juergen Sauermann]

Hi Alexey,

see below.

/// Jürgen

On 12/26/2016 11:53 PM, Alexey Veretennikov wrote:

Hi,

I assume --without-libapl should be the same as --with-libapl=no, as it
logically follows.

Correct. --without-libapl is equivalent to --with-libapl=no. That is not a matter of logic, but a
convention in autoconf. And this convention is in fact followed for the --with-libapl option.

However, the real question is if --with-libapl=no shall have the opposite effect of --with-libapl=yes
or not. If =yes and =no were valid arguments for --with-libapl, then that would make sense. But
--with-libapl has no arguments and therefore =yes and =no are both ignored and lead to the
same effect, namely libapl being built instead of apl.

So in your opinion two different invalid arguments shall have different effects, while IMHO is is more
consistent if two different invalid arguments have the same effect.

I guess there is a bug either in the build system or in
autoconf/automake tools. I've never written scripts for them so I can't
judge; but all my previous experience building software with ./configure
script says what --without-PACKAGE actually means build _without_
mentioned package.

To me it is a sensitive subject, since because of this the build process
on my ARM HPC is more than 24 hours already.

As I said, simply do not mention --with-libapl or --without-libapl at all in your ./configure
arguments and everything will be fine. I really cannot see the point of using --without-libapl if
that is the default anyhow.

Juergen Sauermann <address@hidden> writes:

Hi Alexey,

first of all, --without-libapl is not a valid ./configure option, and there is no mentioning
of --without-libapl in README-2-configure.

Not building libapl is the default, so instead of saying --without-libapl you should simply not say
--with-libapl.

The --without-PACKAGE description in configure --help comes from the standard autoconf help
and relates to packages being used and not to packages being produced (like libapl).

As a matter of fact, according to ./configure --help, --without-libapl is the same as --with-libapl=no.
Now, --with-libapl does not have (resp. ignores) any arguments, which makes --with-libapl=no
the same as --with-libapl, which is what you see.

/// Jürgen

On 12/26/2016 09:09 PM, Alexey Veretennikov wrote:

 Hi,

It seems what even if I set

./configure --without-libapl

the configure scripts still reports

checking if we want to build libapl.so... yes