Re: libtool wants to install LIBRARY.lai, but it doesn't exist

[Ralf Wildenhues]

* Roger Leigh wrote on Fri, Apr 01, 2005 at 12:34:37AM CEST:
> Ralf Wildenhues <address@hidden> writes:
> > * Marc Singer wrote on Thu, Mar 31, 2005 at 10:59:13PM CEST:
> >> On Thu, Mar 31, 2005 at 10:20:12PM +0200, Ralf Wildenhues wrote:
> >> 
> >> > - .pc files come from pkgconfig.  While a seemingly easy tool and easy
> >> > solution, its incapable to solve some more complex problems.  (You seem
> >> > to have noted that already.)  pkgconfig has nothing to do with the
> >> > Autotools autoconf/automake/libtool except that by chance there might
> >> > now be some maintainer overlap and that there has been the idea of
> >> > absorbing its functionality into Libtool.
> >> 
> >> IMHO, what PC files do, the .la files can do better. 
> >
> > ACK.
> 
> In the library linking case, certainly.

Yes.

> But what about the CFLAGS for compiling client code, modversion, and
> the ability to embed other variables e.g. plugin directory paths?

Have you ever tried to work with multiple -devel packages on a system
with more than one ABI (e.g., x86_64)?  With pkgconfig choosing the
wrong thing consistently?

I am not saying all is well with libtool in this area, not at all, but
pkgconfig just cannot express that ATM.  Its model is too simplistic.

> Those aren't catered for at all by libtool .la files, and so if the
> two are to be merged, libtool should support these additional
> features.

Oh, surely pkgconfig has functionality which has nothing to do with
libraries.  And that part of pkgconfig is mostly fine, too.  And I also
acknowledge that by far not everybody using pkgconfig will want to use
libtool.

Regards,
Ralf