[Pkg-grass-general] [Fwd: Re: compilers that self compile]
This looks pertinent to our grass/gdal compile problem.
Steve
-----Forwarded Message-----
> From: Jeroen van Wolffelaar <jeroen@wolffelaar.nl>
> To: debian-mentors@lists.debian.org
> Subject: Re: compilers that self compile
> Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2004 18:43:46 +0200
>
> On Wed, Oct 20, 2004 at 01:18:39PM -0300, Antonio S. de A. Terceiro wrote:
> > Hello all,
> >
> > How do people in Debian handle compilers that depend on itself to
> > be compiled?
>
> I asked this question a while ago too. Quoting DWN[1]:
>
> | Cyclic Build Dependencies. Jeroen van Wolffelaar [11]noticed that
> | [12]oaklisp contains a binary file which is used for bootstrapping.
> | There are at least half a dozen such [13]loops in Debian already.
> | Edmund Grimley Evans [14]assumed that such cyclic build dependencies
> | are acceptable in Debian.
> |
> | 11. http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2004/06/msg00113.html
> | 12. http://packages.debian.org/oaklisp
> | 13. http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2004/06/msg00116.html
> | 14. http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2004/06/msg00114.html
>
> So, yes, that's acceptable[2]. You must ensure you can change sources as
> you like, and then get a new package, but you don't need to make
> bootstrapping possible/easy.
>
> > * can a package build-depend on itself? I've saw that gcc, for
> > example, don't (at least explicitily) build-depend on itself.
>
> It does in a way: build-essential is an assumed build-dependency, and
> gcc is depended on by build-essential. ghc6 does build-depend on itself.
>
> > * how packages like those go in the repository for the first time?
>
> By ignoring build-depends while in some way you've made your system to
> actually be able to build the package. I.e., you've for example
> bootstrapped the compiler. Then you install it locally, and build your
> package again, this time the normal way, and you upload it. After it's
> in the archive, it's rebuildable by itself.
>
> > I couldn't find references about that on either in Debian Policy Manual
> > or in Debian Developer's Reference. If I missed something, please point
> > me were.
>
> This is indeed something which IMHO needs to be clarified.
>
> --Jeroen
>
> [1] http://www.debian.org/News/weekly/2004/24/
> [2] Technically, this very issue was not a cyclic build-depends at
> package level, but there was some 'binary in source package' hack
> involved
>
> --
> Jeroen van Wolffelaar
> Jeroen@wolffelaar.nl (also for Jabber & MSN; ICQ: 33944357)
> http://Jeroen.A-Eskwadraat.nl
>
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