Re: [HACKERS] mega-patch--tcl/tk configuration

Its sad when, to save time, I only skim email that doesn't affect me
directly... :(

On Mon, 23 Mar 1998, Brook Milligan wrote:

> I also removed the version-specific stuff from tcl/tk searching, so they
> will have to be called tcl.h/tcl.[a/so] and tk.h/tk.[a/so] without the
> version numbers. You will also have to specify the search location for
> those directories when prompted by configure.
>
> This seems to defeat the purpose of the configure script. Isn't it
> supposed to find whatever is needed, whereever it is, and let the rest
> of the software do the right thing?
>
> In that case, it seems to me that configure should be checking all the
> relevant version-specific locations without requiring any prompts.
> After a few iterations, the list of appropriate directories will be
> more-or-less all inclusive, so all will be well. The --use-tcl or
> whatever config option can also give an explicit location in case the
> current ones are not appropriate.
>
> But removing the other directories and requiring either a special
> installation or response to a prompt seems to go against the nature
> (and usefulness) of the configure system.

I have to agree, in part, with this...

Under FreeBSD, because of how our ports collections work, it is possible
to have something installed using TCL8.0, but the next one to be installed
requires TCL8.1. As such, we installed then as /usr/local/lib/tcl80 and
/usr/local/lib/tcl81, so they don't get confused...

Having it search several directories in order of preference, IMHO, is
proper behaviour for configure...it should remain as version search
instead of "just tcl.h"...