Re: Tidies binary relocation (issue 6463066)

[Phil Holmes]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Graham Percival" <address@hidden>
To: "Phil Holmes" <address@hidden>
Cc: <address@hidden>; <address@hidden>; <address@hidden>; 
<address@hidden>
Sent: Saturday, August 18, 2012 7:29 PM
Subject: Re: Tidies binary relocation (issue 6463066)


> On Sat, Aug 18, 2012 at 03:40:19PM +0100, Phil Holmes wrote:
> > ----- Original Message ----- From: <address@hidden>
> > To: <address@hidden>; <address@hidden>
> > Cc: <address@hidden>; <address@hidden>
> >
> > >I haven't looked at the new logic in detail, but exactly what was
> > >LILYPOND_RELOCATE_PREFIX doing, and why do we no longer need it?  If
> >
> > TBH, I have no idea.  It relies on an environment variable that has
> > no mention in our docs anywhere, and the only reference I can find
> > to it at all is an email message from 2006, where using it didn't
> > fix the problem anyway.
>
> That doesn't necessarily anything.  It could be used in GUB for
> building, or lilypad-osx or lilypad-windows for compiling.  I must
> admit that I've grepped for it in both git repositories and
> couldn't find it, though.  It might even be involved in the
> lilypond jail settings (i.e. for LSR).  (and note that unless you
> have personally set up a working LSR, do not assume that the docs
> on lilypond jail actually work!)

I did the same.  It's not just that it doean't appear anywhere in our build 
system - it doesn't appear anywhere on t'internet, either.

> > If anyone can say what it's used for, we could document it.  But I
> > don't think we should rely on reading the C++ code to find all the
> > environment variables we could use...
>
> OTOH, I don't think that we should delete bits of code unless we
> know why they were there in the first place.  There's just so many
> dark corners of lilypond that no active developers are familiar
> with.

I think we should do some sweeping up in cobwebby corners, if we can.  In 
particular, when we can't find any reason for the code to be there in the 
first place.  I've not worked out yet how to get git to show which commit 
put that code in.  If someone could either do that, or explain how to, I 
think it could help.

> I'm not saying that I'm completely opposed to having this in git
> master.  I'd feel better if you made some binaries and asked users
> to test them first.  But even without that, as long as you'll be
> around in Sep to revert this patch if necessary, I think it could
> still go forward.


I've made binaries and tested them under Ubuntu.  The code is not windows 
specific, it's OS independent.  It relies on someone setting the environment 
value LILYPOND_RELOCATE_PREFIX which could work on any OS.  So I think the 
only way to get enough people to test would be to put it into a release and 
see if anyone complains.  I would revert in that case.

--
Phil Holmes