configure vs. configure [was: Re: [MPlayer-dev-eng] [PATCH] remove --enable-smb option]

[Arpi]

Hi,

> Götz Waschk writes:
>  > this patch removes the --enable-smb option from configure. With the
>  > current CVS, the build will fail with --enable-smb, as the
>  > autodetection of the smbclient libs is skipped. So there are two
>  > alternatives:
>  > 1. remove the useless --enable-smb option and keep the default
>  > autodetection
>  > 2. use autodetection if _smbsupport is set to auto or yes.
>  > 
>  > I'd prefer number 1, what about you?
> 
> This is broken, we always have both options, you should instead fix
> the test so it also runs when --enable-smb is specified or something
> like that.
> 
> Anyway, if you force an option that is autodetected, you should make
> sure the build does not break yourself.

This is one very interesting problem.
I was thinking about it many times in the pats, but afair it was
never discussed here. (although there were sereval bugreports
and patches about the autodetection stuff)

The main problem is that people are used for autoconf (from autoshit tools)
behaviour. And our configure is something different, incompatible
with autoconf.

In our configure, most things are autodetect by default. You can force
enable (then no detection at all, the script accepts that you say: 
"it's there, use it!") or disable ("don't try to detect it, i dont want
you to use it!").

autoconf is different, there you cannot override autodetection.
actually enable* options are useless in autoconf scripts, they just
enable autodetection. if autodetection fails for some reason, you're lost.


A'rpi / Astral & ESP-team

--
Developer of MPlayer G2, the Movie Framework for all - http://www.MPlayerHQ.hu