I noticed that Python's configure.in does not follow the autoconf style for using --enable- options. The autoconf documentation says

# Some packages require, or can optionally use, other software packages # which are already installed. The user can give `configure' command # line options to specify which such external software to use. The # options have one of these forms: # # --with-PACKAGE[=ARG] # --without-PACKAGE ... # If a software package has optional compile-time features, the user # can give `configure' command line options to specify whether to compile # them. The options have one of these forms: # # --enable-FEATURE[=ARG] # --disable-FEATURE

So --with- options should be used for integrating 3rd party libraries, --enable- options for features that that can be independently turned on or off.

I'd conclude that the following options are provided incorrectly in Python 2.0: --with-pydebug (should be --enable-pydebug), --with(out)-cycle-gc (should be --disable-cycle-gc). Is this something that should change?

I noticed that too. (Arguably also for --with-thread?) I think it's a forgiveable sin against the autoconf style guide, and not worth the work of fixing it. Either way the autoconf --with- or --enable- syntax is stupid because it doesn't check for spelling errors in the options. The rationale for that is that some folks like to pass in unsupported options to a whole tree of configure scripts. I think that stinks, but what can I do. This would make the fix even more work, because we would have to trap --with*-pydebug and --with*-cycle-gc to give an error message, else developers used to the old syntax would never notice the change. --Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)

I noticed that Python's configure.in does not follow the autoconf style for using --enable- options. The autoconf documentation says

# Some packages require, or can optionally use, other software packages # which are already installed. The user can give `configure' command # line options to specify which such external software to use. The # options have one of these forms: # # --with-PACKAGE[=ARG] # --without-PACKAGE ... # If a software package has optional compile-time features, the user # can give `configure' command line options to specify whether to compile # them. The options have one of these forms: # # --enable-FEATURE[=ARG] # --disable-FEATURE

So --with- options should be used for integrating 3rd party libraries, --enable- options for features that that can be independently turned on or off.

I'd conclude that the following options are provided incorrectly in Python 2.0: --with-pydebug (should be --enable-pydebug), --with(out)-cycle-gc (should be --disable-cycle-gc). Is this something that should change?

I noticed that too. (Arguably also for --with-thread?) I think it's a forgiveable sin against the autoconf style guide, and not worth the work of fixing it. Either way the autoconf --with- or --enable- syntax is stupid because it doesn't check for spelling errors in the options. The rationale for that is that some folks like to pass in unsupported options to a whole tree of configure scripts. I think that stinks, but what can I do. This would make the fix even more work, because we would have to trap --with*-pydebug and --with*-cycle-gc to give an error message, else developers used to the old syntax would never notice the change. --Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)