Re: RPMS for 7.1beta3 being uploaded.

Peter Eisentraut wrote:
> Trond Eivind Glomsrød writes:
> > We have a libtool tuned to work with lots of platforms, like ia64,
> > s390 etc... this makes sure it's used.

> We don't use libtool. Nor does libtool care about the processor.

'We' has a lot of different meanings. In your sentence, of course, 'We'
is 'the PostgreSQL Global Development Group.' In my case, I have to use
a 'We' comprised of the PGDG, RedHat, SuSE, TurboLinux, Mandrake,
Caldera, GreatBridge, etc.

The RPM-based Linux distributions have their own consistency
requirements that may at times conflict with 'our' own. In the case of
packages the are being distributed with these distributions, it behooves
'us' to play by the distribution's rules when those rules don't
negatively affect 'our' primary source distribution.

By having this only in the RPM spec file, it obviates the need for 'us'
to change anything, and it allows 'our' package to be more easily
integrated in the distribution in question.

In particular, this was and is a RedHat-made change. It does not break
anything that I am aware of, and allows the distributions to do their
thing as well.

Therefore, the conditional. If the distribution doesn't care, then the
files won't exist, and they won't overwrite ours. RedHat 6.1, for
instance.

Is there a technical reason that this would cause a failed or even
non-optimal build? Non-functional binaries? Problems at the user
level?

The PPC shenanigans will be gone -- but the libtool stuff -- until
libtoolize works properly on 'our' build (I seem to recall a
distribution that successfully libtollized PostgreSQL -- I'll have to
check.....), this seems reasonable to me in my limited knowledge.

So, Trond, what sort of tunings have been performed that make the files
in question need to be copied? I'm sure you have a good reason; I am
just curious as to what it is.

Likewise, Peter, I'm sure that from your point of view you have good
reasons -- I'd like to see them as well, for the same reasons as I'd
like to see Trond's.

We're early in the RPM beta cycle here -- many things can and will
change before final.
--
Lamar Owen
WGCR Internet Radio
1 Peter 4:11