Re: dependency creep

[Bruno Haible]

Hi Sam,

> I updated gnulib files in clisp and threadlib.m4 was pulled in by
> gettext 0.17.
> Are you sure this is really truly necessary?

It is necessary for packages that use
  AM_GNU_GETTEXT
but it is not necessary for packages that use
  AM_GNU_GETTEXT([external])

In the latter case, I thought that 'aclocal' will determine that the file
threadlib.m4 is not needed, not include it from aclocal.m4, and thus
"make dist" will create a tarball without this file. No?

> OK - this is just m4, so it does not affect the executable size - just
> configuration time.

It does not even affect configuration time, only tarball size.

> I thought of replacing clisp/src/execname.c (158 lines which determine
> the truename of the current executable) and discovered that to do that I,
> apparently, need the relocatable-prog-wrapper module (17 C and H files!

Determining the truename of the current executable is not yet a supported
functionality of its own. You found some uses of this functionality in the
relocatable-prog-wrapper module, which does many more things.

So, would you like to propose a module that determines the truename of the
current executable? This would be a new API, because neither POSIX nor
glibc have this API.

> So, what is the point of gnulib again?

The point of gnulib is to allow you to program with reference to POSIX or the
glibc documentation, using the same includes that work on glibc platforms,
and then fix a maximum of portability programs by telling gnulib-tool to
import the relevant cross-platform support. Additionally, it provides
generally useful utility functions.

> Why not just distribute gnu libc with every application?

1) Because glibc is not ported to OSes from AIX to Windows. There was once a
   port of glibc to AIX, but it became quickly unmaintained (after IBM stopped
   paying for it).
2) Because gnulib does more than glibc: It does not override the functionality
   of the system that is present and works. Like two gear wheels fit together,
   gnulib adapts to the shape of the system's gear wheel.

Bruno