Re: [Chicken-hackers] use host PCRE to build the Debian package

[Ivan Shmakov]

>>>>> felix winkelmann <address@hidden> writes:

 >> Currently, the Debian package for Chicken is being built with the
 >> binaries statically linked to the embedded copy of PCRE.  Since I
 >> expect for Debian to do its best on supporting its own PCRE package,
 >> I suggest changing the build system to link against the host version
 >> of PCRE for building the Debian package.

 > Ivan, thanks for the patch, but PCRE has been bundled with chicken to
 > actually avoid using the host-systems libpcre.

        Thus leading to duplication of the PCRE maintenance effort and,
        what's even worse, to the duplication of the code, and therefore
        its bugs.

 > I don't see much need for making the build more complicated

        It doesn't make the build of the Debian package more complicated
        at all, e. g.:

# pbuilder build chicken_VERSION-0.1.dsc 

        As for a Make variable to use the host version of PCRE, my
        opinion is that it's better to provide it and let the user
        decide whether it should be used.  (There was already a request
        for such a variable, IIRC.)

        To summarize, I see the reasons to bundle a version of PCRE
        along with Chicken, but I do not see any reasons to /force/ the
        user to use it.  To empower user is a much better practice than
        to restrict.

 > and also open up the doors for library incompatibilities.

        As of Debian etch, more than 150 packages are linked against
        Debian PCRE package.  I see nothing special in Chicken which
        would make the issues you've mentioned more a problem for it
        than it's for other packages.  Could you shed some light on
        that?

        Furthermore, if Chicken needs to be linked against a specific
        version of PCRE, or (preferrably) a version of PCRE not older
        than specific, `debian/control' has the means to specify so.