[Python-Dev] Re: [Bug #117070] README instructions for configuring Setup are not helpful

[Fred L. Drake, Jr.]

[Moved over from a discussion in the bugs list; this relates to bug:
 http://sourceforge.net/bugs/?func=detailbug&bug_id=117070&group_id=5470
 Please be sure to CC: Jon on all replies.]

Jon Ribbens writes:
 > Why the Setup.in/Setup thing at all? Just copying Setup.in to Setup without
 > changes is unexpected enough to warrant mentioning in a paragraph of its
 > own, completely explicitly. The '.in' suffix is usually used for files which
 > autoconf is going to use to create a new file from - you cannot usually
 > simply copy the file yourself. An experienced admin installing Python is
 > more likely to believe the README is wrong than what it tells them to do
 > is correct. Why does the Setup.in file exist in the first place? Surely it
 > should be named 'Setup.dist' (and an identical file 'Setup' exist right from
 > the start).

  Ok, here's the plan:  Change Setup.in to Setup.dist, and provide a
copy as Setup.  Since this doesn't help if the source and build
directories differ, configure.in can be modified to create Setup if
(and only if!) it doesn't exist, by copying it from $srcdir/Modules/.
  I have the changes to configure.in, configure, Setup*, and
Modules/Makefile.pre.in ready, but I still need to update the
instructions in the README & possibly elsewhere.
  Does this sound agreeable?


  -Fred

-- 
Fred L. Drake, Jr.  <fdrake at acm.org>
PythonLabs Team Member