Re: automake/autoconf in build-dependencies

[Daniel Schepler <schepler@math.berkeley.edu>]

Paul.Hampson@anu.edu.au (Paul Hampson) writes:

> The arguments _for_ build-depending on the various autotools are (off
> the top of my head)

Here are some other reasons pro that I can think of:

- Putting autoconf-generated files in the source package is nearly as
fragile as generating them at build time.  If there are changes in
autoconf which break the configure.ac etc, then the next time you want
to make other changes or bring your changes forward to a new upstream
version, you'll have to fix things anyway.  This to my mind pretty
much reduces the "future buildability" benefits to nearly nothing.

- You automatically get bug fixes in autoconf.  (Minor, and not worth
doing it for this alone, imho.)

- The extra space in the diff.gz expands the size needed on every
single Debian mirror, as opposed to the short one-time penalties on a
few buildd's.

And I heartily agree with the argument concerning making diff.gz's
readable.
-- 
Daniel Schepler              "Please don't disillusion me.  I
schepler@math.berkeley.edu    haven't had breakfast yet."
                                 -- Orson Scott Card