> If some image libraries that ought to be present for a proper build of
> Emacs are missing, is it really good for Emacs to compile without
> those features? Or would it be better to get error messages
> and tell the user to install those development packages?
>
Another way to solve these problems would be to use ppm files for the
color icons, since ppm support is built in to Emacs.
The problem I am talking about is not just about icons.
Emacs ought to support various graphics formats,
if their libraries are installed. If they are not installed,
why should Emacs build without complaint and then lack the
functionality? I think it's a mistake.