Re: [avr-libc-dev] [RFC] disable building of docs as default

[Theodore A. Roth]

On Mon, 11 Nov 2002, Joerg Wunsch wrote:

:) As Thedore A. Roth wrote:
:)
:) > The attached patch adds the --enable-doc/--disable-doc options (with 
disable
:) > the default).
:)
:) Couldn't we just leave --enable-doc the default, but simply toggle it
:) iff ./configure finds no doxygen installed?

Yes, we could do it that way. But what if doxygen is found and one of the
other little pieces of the puzzle is missing? This usually isn't a problem
on a unix system, but will be a problem on windows (doxygen is available
on windows btw). This is already coming up with fig2dev missing on windows
and I haven't found a simple work-around (like using cat for pngtopnm)
that is gauranteed to work on all systems.

My take on this is that we will be providing online and downloadable dox.
The default build should be successful to get the tools installed with
minimal problems. Besides, I don't think we should really need to support
complaints that "avr-libc won't build because it's missing (for example)
fig2dev, etc" when those don't mean that the lib couldn't be built. If the
user wishes to roll their own docs, we still give them that option with
--enable-doc.

Arguably, we just disable building of the dox if a build tool is missing
(and doesn't have a simple replacement). I tried this route with simulavr
and it is really much harder to do because of all the "behind the scenes"
tools that are used which then have to check for in the configure script.

Besides, for a lot of people it might be faster to just download the
pre-built doc than to roll their own or try to get all the tools working.

Before the dox, the pre-req's for avr-libc were avr-binutils and avr-gcc.
Should we really change that?

In the end, I'll take the lazy, easy way out if I can until someone
convinces me another way is better. ;-)

Of course, --enable-doc should _always_ be used by the
developers/maintainers (especially me so I can put the pre-built docs on
the website)

Ted Roth