gmp-4.0.1: Inter-library dependencies vs. DESTDIR installation

[Christian Cornelssen]

Dear GMP developers and maintainers,

The top-level `Makefile.am' as of gmp-4.0.1 lists `libgmp.la' in the
link command for `libgmpxx.la'. This causes libtool to require
`libgmp.la' to be really installed when relinking `libgmpxx.la' in the
course of a "make install". When doing DESTDIR installs (e.g. for
making binary RPMs), this may not be the case, and consequently,
`libgmpxx.la' will not be installed then. The Libtool documentation
admits this current shortcoming in its discussion of inter-library
dependencies.

I have patched the `Makefile.am' (and the `Makefile.in' because my
Autotool versions seem to be somewhat incompatible to the ones GMP
uses, but the patch is similar to the one for `Makefile.am') to remove
`libgmp.la' from the link command for `libgmpxx.la'.  Note that this
may require libgmpxx users to specify both "-lgmpxx -lgmp" when linking,
but currently I see no other way to properly build RPM packages
(except for building, really installing, and rebuilding).

There are other ways for resolving inter-library dependencies: Linker
scripts for example. Anyway, I think that applying the attached patch
is better than waiting for Libtool to fully handle chains of such
dependencies.

Best regards,

Christian Cornelssen

gmp-4.0.1-Makefile.am.patch
Description: Text document