Re: contrib directory and autoconf

[Kai Grossjohann]

Michael Albinus <address@hidden> writes:

> Kai Grossjohann <address@hidden> writes:
>
>> The perfect solution, IMVHO, would look like this:  When configure is
>> run, it checks whether all the functions it needs are present.  If
>> this is not the case, then it prints a message like this:
>>
>>     Couldn't find function base64-encode-region.
>>     Use "--with-contrib" arg to use the implementation supplied
>>     with Tramp.
>>     Beware, however: After upgrading some other package, the
>>     function(s) might appear, and then it is better to stop using the
>>     versions supplied with Tramp.
>
> Looks fine to me. But I still have the problem that "--with-contrib"
> would be an all-or-nothing approach. Example: If somebody needs
> password.el in contrib (from No Gnus), he would get format-spec.el
> (from Gnus 5.8) as well.

I didn't want to suggest an all-or-nothing approach.  Sorry for this
misunderstanding.

> What about this: If configure is finding that a package is missing, it
> should generate just a link for the missing package lisp/password.el
> -> contrib/password.el, together with the warning above.

Right.  Very good!

Kai