Re: adding bootstrap and bootstrap.conf

[Paul Eggert]

Jim Meyering <address@hidden> writes:

>> Second, the script applies gnulib-tool on a scratch subdirectory. This is
>> worrisome: it indicates that gnulib-tool does some things the wrong way.
>> Can you or Paul explain what is missing in gnulib-tool's working?
>
> I wouldn't say it's wrong, just not the way I wanted it.
> With coreutils, one motivation was that I (and Paul, too, I presume) want
> all gnulib-imported files to end up in e.g., lib/ and m4/ directories,
> alongside any version-controlled files that may already be there.

Another motivation was that gnulib-tool was overenthusiastic about
installing files, particularly gettext-related files, and it was so
much of a pain to remove them after installing them that I found it
easier to install them into a scratch area and then not bother to copy
the files I didn't want.  As I recall the problem was complicated by
our preferring our own sources to gnulib's in some cases.

gnulib-tool has evolved since then, and perhaps some or most of the
problems have better workarounds now.  I have been meaning to look
into the problem at some point, but it's been low priority, since the
existing bootstrap script works.