BSD equivalents of autoconf, automake, etc.

[Ted Mittelstaedt]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-freebsd-questions at freebsd.org
> [mailto:owner-freebsd-questions at freebsd.org]On Behalf Of Jonathon
> McKitrick
> Sent: Friday, December 17, 2004 3:53 PM
> To: Matthias Buelow
> Cc: Giorgos Keramidas; freebsd-questions at freebsd.org
> Subject: Re: BSD equivalents of autoconf, automake, etc.
> 

> Besides, it will need a professional looking/acting installation 
> script when
> it is done, and it will have to work on both platforms.
> 

WHY?

Today, the Linux and FreeBSD worlds have gone the way of Windows - 
the average user no longer knows how to compile software.  Today,
they either spend time fetching rpm's or they use the FreeBSD ports
directories which does all that for them.

The 'configure' script was useful at one time when there were
lots of different UNIXes but today it's an anachronism, and just
wastes development time for debugging configure.  I have seen many
configure scripts blow up with bugs or build makefiles that
create uncompilable software.

You don't need an install script.  Whomever is building the RPM
or whomever is creating the FreeBSD port has their own ideas of
where they want things to be installed and has no interest in
interference from you.

Keep it Simple Stupid.  A Makefile that has options settible
by editing with a text editor, and a nice readme file that tells
what all the settible options are, is infinitely superior than
all the configure crap.  That is all that the RPM and ports
creators want from you.  And the end users don't even want to
compile your stuff in the first place, let alone see it's
install script.

Ted