Re: AM_DEFAULT_VERBOSITY

[Eli Zaretskii]

> Date: Sat, 07 Jan 2012 08:02:44 -0700
> From: Eric Blake <address@hidden>
> CC: address@hidden
> 
> > By digging into the produced Makefile's, I finally found that saying
> > 
> >   make AM_DEFAULT_VERBOSITY=1
> 
> Not quite - the preferred spelling is make V=1.  AM_DEFAULT_VERBOSITY is
> an implementation detail.
> 
> > 
> > would accomplish what I needed.  I can find this variable documented
> > in the Automake manual.  However, building a package does not require
> > Automake, and even if it is installed, it is not immediately obvious
> > that this should be the place to look.  As you all well know, the
> > implementation of the verbosity level is quite contrived and is not
> > easy to understand even when you find it in the produced Makefile's.
> > 
> > I'm not quite sure what would be the best way of making this
> > information more easily available.  Perhaps adding it to the standard
> > INSTALL file, e.g. under "Troubleshooting", would be a first step.
> 
> It _already_ is in in the INSTALL file, but under the Optional Features
> section.  And there, we mention the preferred spellings:
> 
> make V=1
> 
> or even better, make it default with
> 
> ./configure --disable-silent-rules

Yes, I see this now, but maybe it should be made more prominent.
"Optional features" is generally for the package features, and one
rarely looks there, as the features are shown by "./configure --help"
and not listed in INSTALL.