Re: astksh review

[Charles Wilson <cwilson at ece dot gatech dot edu>]

> > There is no problem with the regular configure/make (i.e., 
> > building the
> > default configuration of the package).  However, if I wanted to, say,
> > twiddle with the source and turn some features on/off, or 
> > experiment, or
> > even, say, insert debug printouts for some bug that manifests 
> > itself when
> > running shell scripts, it would be much easier to do so with 
> > pdksh -- I
> > think I understand most of the source (haven't looked at it 
> > in a while).

> > As an aside, it would be great if certain features/defines in the code
> > were turned on/off with configure's "--enable-*"/"--disable-*" options
> > (not sure if they are now, sounds like they aren't).

People, let me introduce you to a "gift horse."  Please stop inspecting 
its teeth.

Karsten and others have done a lot of work to accomodate the cygwin 
packaging standard.  It is *extremely* disrepectful for us (the cygwin 
community, as it were) to then insist on *internal* changes to the 
product itself.

e.g. "Stop using nmake and this really confusing Makefile system.  Use 
autoconf"

That is NOT helpful -- nor does it belong on this list.  We're talking 
about packaging ast-ksh so that it can be installed on cygwin using 
setup, and conform to our packaging rules.

Those rules say nothing about requiring autoconf.  There's a tacit 
assumption that cygwin packages should be buildable on a cygwin system 
without additional, non-official cygwin packages -- but no requirement 
that any *particular* cygwin tool (like autoconf) be used.  (ast-ksh 
satisfies the build-on-stock-cygwin "rule", but not the 
thou-shalt-use-autoconf "rule")

ast-ksh uses a Makefile-driven build system.  It is not autoconfed.  It 
never will be autoconfed.  And if it WERE to be autoconfed, that 
discussion would belong over on the ast-ksh mailing list, because you're 
talking about massive overall changes to the upstream package, not 
simply cygwin-specific porting tweaks.

(FWIW, I vote "yes" on this package, as is)

--Chuck