Package or not? (was Re: [Xastir] Can't find ImageMagick lib)

[Jack Twilley]

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>>>>> "Curt" == Curt Mills <Curt> writes:

Curt> Is there any way that we can make the output of this test
Curt> program appear in the main text while doing a configure?  It
Curt> sounds like some of the supporting libs for ImageMagick (and
Curt> perhaps others?)  are getting to be a problem, particularly when
Curt> they're not visible to the user, who just sees a general failure
Curt> for the main library being queried.

Well, the ImageMagick config bit is one of the few bits I didn't
touch.  It's filled with chaos and randomness.

Curt> If we could make it visible somehow, for all of the optional
Curt> libraries, that would make it much easier to help these people
Curt> in the future.  Don't know if it's easy to do this, just
Curt> throwing it out there.

I agree with Reuven, though, that this stuff isn't our problem.

There appear to be two types of xastir users:

1.  Those who prefer building from source.

2.  Those who prefer installing packages.

Users of the first type are in general very successful with xastir.
There are occasionally problems with building certain libraries in the
wrong order, or being the first one to notice what stupidity has
afflicted the ImageMagick team lately, but other than that, they're
quietly happy running high-quality software.

However, most Linux users -- and most xastir users -- are of the
second type.  Building xastir itself requires that a user be
of the first time in order to take advantage of all its features.

If the goal is to make xastir available to users of the second type,
then the packaging game has to be played.  If we want more RedHat
users, then we need to build RPMs of xastir which have the right
dependencies.  If we want more Debian users, then we need to build
debs of xastir which have the right dependencies.  If we want more
FreeBSD users, then we need to build a port of xastir which has the
right dependencies.  If we want more Solaris users, then we need to
build a package of xastir which has the right dependencies.  

This is the only way to avoid the constant questions.  I will leave it
to others to determine whether or not the work involved is worth the
benefits. 

Jack.
- -- 
Jack Twilley
jmt at twilley dot org
http colon slash slash www dot twilley dot org slash tilde jmt slash
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