Re: RFE: allow for computed version number

[Joseph S. Myers]

Another variation on computed versions is also worth mentioning:

GCC, Binutils, GDB and EGLIBC support configure options --with-pkgversion 
and --with-bugurl.  --with-pkgversion changes the package name used in 
--version output (and in manuals), so you get e.g.

GNU assembler (GNU Binutils for Ubuntu) 2.19.1

rather than

GNU assembler (GNU Binutils) 2.19.1

which clearly marks the binary as being a particular distributor's version 
without requiring every distributor to maintain their own local patch to 
the same code changing the package name everywhere (and, if the version 
string includes a local version number for the packaged version, requiring 
changes every time that local version number changes).  --with-bugurl 
changes the bug reporting information in --help output (and in manuals) to 
point to distributor-specific bug reporting information so bug reports for 
the modified version are directed to the distributor - again, without 
requiring everyone to have their own local patch to the same code.  
(<http://gcc.gnu.org/wiki/ConfigVersion> describes an early version of 
this configuration support.)

It might make sense for there to be some direct support in auto* for this 
feature rather than each package needing to do it locally.

-- 
Joseph S. Myers
address@hidden