Re: TODO

[Bob Friesenhahn]

On Sat, 13 Nov 2004, Jacob Meuser wrote:
> libtool is used to build libraries.
>
> pkg-config is used in configure scripts.
>
> libtool is used in Makefiles.
>
> yes, it's possible to use constructs like
>
> foo.so: foo.o
>         ${CC} ${LDFLAGS} -o foo.so foo.o `pkg-config bar --libs`
>
> in Makefiles, but this is not overlap in a conflicting way.  libtool
> isn't even being used there.  and if CC is libtool, then if it cannot
> handle that command, then, well, libtool is the abberation, because
> then it's not doing what it is supposed to do.  libtool is supposed to
> make building libraries/shared objects easier.

Libtool makes building libraries more portable.

> now, could you please tell me where pkg-config conflicts with libtool,
> or why pkg-config is an "aberration", or why the libtool codebase
> should be bloated to provide functionality already provided by
> another commonly use package?

The "simple tool" approach which has helped Unix succeed should be 
followed.  As you say pkg-config is already easy to use in configure 
scripts.  It can continue to be used in configure scripts.  Libtool 
can continue to be a compiler/linker driver.  There is no need to fix 
something which is not broken and tie tools together when they don't 
need to be.

Bob
======================================
Bob Friesenhahn
address@hidden
http://www.simplesystems.org/users/bfriesen