Re: Why was handling of program_prefix changed?

[Akim Demaille]

| (I'm no longer on the address@hidden list; please CC me on any
| replies.)

Hi Ian,

| In autoconf 2.13, I see this code:
| 
| test "$host_alias" != "$target_alias" &&
|   test "$program_prefix$program_suffix$program_transform_name" = \
|     NONENONEs,x,x, &&
|   program_prefix=${target_alias}-
| 
| In the current autoconf CVS sources, I see this:
| 
| test -n "$target_alias" &&
|   test "$program_prefix$program_suffix$program_transform_name" = \
|     NONENONEs,x,x, &&
|   program_prefix=${target_alias}-[]dnl
| 
| Note that this is significantly different.  In the old code,
| program_prefix was set by default if host_alias != target_alias.  In
| the new code, program_prefix is set by default is target_alias is set
| at all.

Part of the revamping that Autoconf suffered from 2 to 2 1/2,
including its relationship to cross-compilation.  In particular, the
confusing definitions have been ``fixed'' and the corresponding
options have been simplified.  Now:

- passing --host means you cross compile (whatever the relationship
  between host and build)

- passing --target means you build a cross-tool (whatever the
  relationship bw host and target).

The behavior wrt prefix_program reflects this.  In other words, it was
on purpose that `--host=foo --target=foo' is different from
`--host=foo'.


| I believe the original version is correct.  Suppose I am using an
| automatic configurator which works over a whole tree, like the Cygnus
| configure script.  It is natural to always pass --host and --target
| options.  When those options are the same, it indicates a native
| build, implying that the default value of program_prefix should be
| empty.

Actually, it does not mean anything like a native build.  A native
build is defined by --host was not given.  I'm referring to today's
definition.  You are still referring to the old Autoconf.  Long ago,
after long threads, where compiler people were especially represented
by Alexandre, that's what resulted.


| The original logic was that program_prefix should be set by default
| for a non-native build.  That is what the original code tested for.
| That code is based on the same code in the Cygnus configure script.
| Why is it correct to set program_prefix merely because a --target
| option was used?
| 
| Moreover, the code does not match the documentation.  The
| documentation describes the original behaviour, not the new behaviour:
| 
|     If any of the options described below are given to @command{configure},
|     program names are transformed accordingly.  Otherwise, if
|     @code{AC_CANONICAL_TARGET} has been called and a @option{--target} value
|     is given that differs from the host type (specified with @option{--host}),
|     the target type followed by a dash is used as a prefix.  Otherwise, no
|     program name transformation is done.

Arg, thanks for pointing this out.  The documentation does not to be
updated here.  While elsewhere it had been correctly updated, and the
GCS do reflect this.

| The change was made with the following ChangeLog entry, which does not
| mention this behaviour change:
| 
| 2000-05-24  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>
| 
|       The options --build etc. used to set `$build'.  *If*
|       AC_CANONICAL_SYSTEM was run, then the value of `$build' given by
|       the user was saved into `$build_alias', and `$build' was
|       normalized using `config.sub'.
| 
|       Now, let `--build' set `$build_alias' so that scripts with or
|       without `AC_CANONICAL_BUILD' have the same semantics.  This allows
|       to use `AC_CHECK_TOOL' without requiring `config.guess' and
|       `config.sub' (which was bizarre anyway).
| 
|       * acgeneral.m4 (_AC_INIT_PARSE_ARGS): --build, --host and --target
|       set `build_alias' etc.
|       After the option handling, set host to $host_alias etc. for
|       bugward compatibility.
|       (AC_CANONICALIZE): Mutate into...
|       (_AC_CANONICAL_SPLIT): this, which does not canonicalize, it just
|       computes `$foo_os' etc.
|       (_AC_CANONICAL_THING): Remove, too confusing.
|       (AC_CANONICAL_BUILD): Adjust.
|       Do not assign any value to `build_alias', just compute `build', and
|       `build_{cpy, vendor, os}'.
|       (AC_CANONICAL_HOST, AC_CANONICAL_TARGET): Likewise.
|       (AC_CHECK_TOOL_PREFIX): Fire your rule when `$host_alias' is
|       given, not when `$host != $build'.
| 
| Here is a patch to restore the original behaviour:
| 
| 2001-11-19  Maciej W. Rozycki  <address@hidden>
| 
|       * lib/autoconf/general.m4 (AC_CANONICAL_HOST):  Don't set
|       program_prefix if target_alias equals host_alias.
| 
| autoconf-2.52-target_prefix.patch
| diff -up --recursive --new-file autoconf-2.52.macro/acgeneral.m4 
autoconf-2.52/acgeneral.m4
| --- autoconf-2.52.macro/acgeneral.m4  Wed Jul  4 15:05:43 2001
| +++ autoconf-2.52/acgeneral.m4        Sun Nov 18 15:27:47 2001
| @@ -1774,7 +1774,7 @@ _AC_CANONICAL_SPLIT([target])
|  
|  # The aliases save the names the user supplied, while $host etc.
|  # will get canonicalized.
| -test -n "$target_alias" &&
| +test -n "$target_alias" && test "x$target_alias" != "x$host_alias" &&
|    test "$program_prefix$program_suffix$program_transform_name" = \
|      NONENONEs,x,x, &&
|    program_prefix=${target_alias}-[]dnl
| 
| Ian
|