Re: A better autogen.sh

[Paul Eggert]

On 03/16/2011 01:10 AM, Eli Zaretskii wrote:

>> > The src/config.in file is one example of these #ifdef-like
>> > constructs.  The main reason we put src/config.in in the
>> > repository, and keep track of it and commit it by hand,
>> > is for the MS Windows port.
> It was never because of MS-DOS.  This file was there from day one.
> This is the first time removal of this file is considered.

The idea has been considered before, I expect.  But it's not that
important whether the idea is new or old.  What's important
is whether it's a good idea.  Right now, the file is in the repository
only because of the MS-DOS port, and that suggests that the
repository copy should be moved to the msdos/ subdirectory.

Whenever maintainers feel it necessary, they could autogenerate a
new version, copy it into the msdos/ subdirectory by hand, and
commit the result.  That should be enough to address concerns
about the MS-DOS port.

> And I need to worry about Posix platforms when I edit files in those
> same directories.  So what?

Emacs is part of the GNU project, and the main goal
of the GNU project, as I'm sure you know, is to develop
a complete Unix-like operating system that is free software.
So, it's inherent to Emacs that its code needs to be working
on Unix-like platforms.

The MS Windows port is not inherent to Emacs in that way.
Where the MS Windows port can be done with minimal
disruption to Emacs development, then that's fine;
but where the MS Windows port presents an obstacle to
improving how Emacs is maintained, that's a problem.
In this discussion, we're trying to address one of these
problems.

> Maybe you will also claim that bidirectional editing is not needed by "the 
> rest
> of us", so my work on that is not important.

I would not dream of making such a claim.  But that is a
separate issue, and I don't see why it is relevant.