[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread] 

List:       kde-devel
Subject:    Re: Bug#18738: Severity: wishlist
From:       Rob Kaper <cap () capsi ! com>
Date:       2001-01-18 16:38:11
[Download RAW message or body]

On Thu, Jan 18, 2001 at 03:20:53PM +0100, Stephan Kulow wrote:
> > Advanced users, that know enough about Linux / KDE to install from
> > sources, are also advanced enough to find the libraries by themselves. I
> > think that one tip somewhere in the KDE web site is enough for the power
> > user.
>
> Right. But these tips are missing somehow. Volunteers for maintaining
> something for the compilationfaq? Not everyone has the luxury of having a
> packager to do the job for him (think non-Linux :), so we should at least
> collect these infos somewhere.

Hm, I believe that http://www.kde.org/documentation/faq/install.html and
http://www.kde.org/install-source.html are quite informative and seem to be
up-to-date.

A better idea is to come up with a standard way where application developers
can specify if there are packages they depend on, and which applications
would enhance their own.

The configure script does check this and would fail on missing dependencies,
but it will happily go on if an enhancing libary or program is missing.
Perhaps our configure templates should ask whether to continue first, so
there will be some focus on the missing program. An extra option
--no-prompt-enhancements could default those answers to yes, so that
automated scripts can still be used to compile.

Another option would be the existance of a ENHANCEMENTS file in the source
directory of an application listing the programs that are not required, yet
would improve the application a lot. Experienced users can then do a simple
find, less the files and choose whether to enhance or not. This is certainly
better than having to read every INSTALL/README manually.

Rob
-- 
Rob Kaper | cap@capsi.com cap@capsi.net cap@capsi.co.uk
          | http://capsi.com/ - telnet://chat.capsi.com:2300/
          | 'What? In riddles?' said Gandalf. 'No! For I was talking aloud
          | to myself. A habit of the old: they choose the wisest person
          | present to speak to; the long explanations needed by the young
          | are wearying.' - "Lord of the Rings", JRR Tolkien
 
>> Visit http://master.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kde-devel#unsub to unsubscribe <<

[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread]