Re: Is a modern build system acceptable for older platforms

On Mon, 28 May 2018 at 03:30, Yuriy Zhuravlev <stalkerg(at)gmail(dot)com> wrote:

> I suppose I can make summary after reading all this:
> 1. Any change in the development process will be possible if it will be
> convenient for each key developers personally only. (development process
> include build system)
> 2. Currently, almost all key developers use Unix like systems, they have
> strong old school C experience and current build system very comfortable
> for them.
>
> I think new build system will be possible only by next reasons:
> 1. Autotools will be completely deprecated and unsupported.
> 2. Key developers will be changed by people with another experience and
> habits (and maybe younger).
>
> I don't want to be CMake advocate here, and I see some problems with CMake
> to Postgres project too. But I want to make Postgres development more
> comfortable for people like me who also doesn't like mail lists and was
> growing with github. Unfortunately, we are too few here to change anything
> now.
>

If we were starting out a new project, would we choose the tools and
environments we have now? Probably not. Is it worth spending thousands of
person-hours converting what we have into something different that happens
to be de rigeur, and (especially) using up many hours of our precious core
developer time while they learn the new methods, while not actually gaining
functionality? Also, probably not.
​
The core developers are core developers because they have been involved
with postgres for years. Yes, to a certain extent that's a respect thing,
they've earned the right to be part of the core team, but it's also related
to the fact that they're likely to be around moving forward.

Someone has to maintain and manage these things. With the greatest of
respect - I'm sure you have the best of intentions and would be happy to
put in many person-hours changing the build environment and helping
everyone through the change process - life has a habit of overtaking our
best intentions. Who's to know whether you'll still be involved in Postgres
in 5 years' time?

Geoff