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<== Date ==> <== Thread ==>

Subject: Re: configure/ reorganization
From: Stephen Lewis <[email protected]>
To: Andrew Johnson <[email protected]>
Cc: [email protected]
Date: Wed, 08 Dec 2010 16:16:29 -0800
I don't think we should change from 'make' (gnumake) to 'CMake'.  It was hard work, but it is functional and we are all used to it.

On 8 Dec 2010, at 13:37 , Andrew Johnson wrote:

> Hi Lewis,
> 
> On Wednesday 08 December 2010 14:20:38 J. Lewis Muir wrote:
>> On 12/8/10 2:06 PM, Andrew Johnson wrote:
>>> Michael suggested replacing our build system with CMake, but he did find
>>> some issues with doing so and I don't think that's up to the job, and it
>>> was not popular in my recent survey (aside from the effort needed to
>>> train and support all of the EPICS developers out there in any new
>>> system).
>> 
>> I'd be curious to know what the issues were and why you don't think it's
>> up to the job.
> 
> Ok, maybe instead of "it's not up to the job" I should have said "the result 
> would not be as easy for developers to configure as the current build system".  
> Michael is the best person to say what the issues were, but I'm pretty sure 
> that he only had it working on Linux and RTEMS.  I don't know whether CMake 
> runs on all our host architectures, but I'm guessing that supporting the 
> Microsoft compiler on Windows might take some work; one criterion that I will 
> insist on is that we not drop any major targets.
> 
> You can find Michael's latest version on Launchpad, browse it here:
>  http://bazaar.launchpad.net/~mdavidsaver/epics-base/cmake/files
> 
> One example about the complexity issue, the CMakeLists.txt files in his src/* 
> directories do seem to be longer than their companion Makefiles.  I remember 
> Michael commenting about problems defining macros (routines, ?) for CMake in a 
> central place, he had to copy some things into every place that needed them 
> (don't know if that's been fixed since).  I'm not sure if he looked at 
> building support modules, he doesn't seem to build the src/makeBaseApp 
> directory at all.
> 
>> I'm also hoping you're careful about how much weight you give the survey
>> results.  When I pointed out some of the weaknesses in the survey, you
>> agreed and noted the results wouldn't be treated too seriously.  But now
>> you seem to be using the survey results as a reason for not switching to
>> CMake.
> 
> I'm using the survey as an indication of how much work it might be to persuade 
> the community to switch.  I haven't said anything like "over my dead body," 
> but there are many things that would need to be solved before we could do so.  
> The community's reaction to that question tells me that they are probably not 
> frustrated by the existing build system, or if they are it's not enough to 
> make them eager to find an alternative.
> 
> - Andrew
> -- 
> If a man is offered a fact which goes against his instincts, he will
> scrutinize it closely, and unless the evidence is overwhelming, he will
> refuse to believe it.  If, on the other hand, he is offered something
> which affords a reason for acting in accordance to his instincts, he
> will accept it even on the slightest evidence.  -- Bertrand Russell
> 


References:
src/ reorganization Davidsaver, Michael
Re: configure/ reorganization Andrew Johnson
Re: configure/ reorganization J. Lewis Muir
Re: configure/ reorganization Andrew Johnson

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