Bug#159570: glibc: Please document/update building process
Package: glibc
Version: N/A; reported 2002-09-04
Severity: wishlist
Hi,
debian/README reads:
> This directory contains the files needed to build glibc for the
> Debian GNU/Linux and GNU/Hurd distributions.
> To build this package, you'll need this `debian' directory, and
> `glibc-VERSION.tar.gz', and `glibc-linuxthreads-LTVERSION.tar.gz'
> (the VERSIONS need not match). Put them all in a directory called
> `glibc-VERSION', and make sure that the `debian/rules',
> `debian/changelog', and `debian/sysdeps/config.mk' refer correctly to
> VERSION. Then, you can run dpkg-buildpackage, which will
> automatically unpack the tarballs, and start the build.
That's probably correct. I have the feeling there's something missing
there, like "if you want to package a newer version" or something like
that. I mean, I'm looking at the debian sources, I'd expect those
files to be there and be the correct ones.
> Compiling the GNU C library yourself requires a lot of resources.
> For a complete build using dpkg-buildpackage you need at least 200MB
> free disk space and at least 16MB of RAM and 32MB of swap space (if
> you have only that much you're better off not running X at the same
> time). Note that the C library on the Hurd is also somewhat larger:
> you'll need over 800MB of free disk space to build Hurdish packages.
This sounds a bit outdated. I don't remember how much space this
chewed up the last time I compiled the package, but it was more than
200 MB. The 48 MB memory figure refers to (probably) available memory,
not system memory.
> A complete build runs for about 6 hours on a 486-133 and still just
> about 3 hours on a Pentium 133. The cause for this is the intricate
> Makefile structure of glibc which needs a lot of computing power for
> make to figure out the automatically generated dependencies.
I wasn't paying attention, but one of my boxes (PIII-500) chewed away
for about 40 minutes or so. Updating the trivia would be nice, not
required, but nice.
> For Linux, you will need at least the kernel-headers for the specific
> kernel version required for your machine's architecture. These are
> specified in the `debian/sysdeps/linux.mk' file, and can be
> overridden by exporting the environment variable LINUX_SOURCE set to
> the path to the desired kernel.
That's ok. "package" is probably missing between "kernel-headers" and
"for" in the first line. Then again, it's probably not and the hyphen
shouldn't be there in the first place.
> For the Hurd, you will need to have installed the GNU Mach and Hurd
> header files (which come with the `gnumach-dev' and `hurd-dev'
> packages). See the Hurd source package's `INSTALL' file for more
> information.
Also ok.
> It is suggested that you also read the `README' and `INSTALL' files
> in the top-level of the glibc source tree.
Ok.
Now to the bug :-)
Can you please document the (interesting) debian/rules targets? unpack
at least. It takes 10 seconds to figure out that debian/rules unpack
will unpack the sources after looking at debian/rules, but my first try
was actually debian/README.
Thanks,
--
Marcelo | If broomsticks were cars, this one would be a
mmagallo@debian.org | split-window Morris Minor.
| -- (Terry Pratchett, Equal Rites)
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