Re: [bug-inetutils] Readlib and FTP client again.

[Simon Josefsson]

Mats Erik Andersson <address@hidden> writes:

> Dear all,
>
> only recently did I understand the full implication of dropping
> our use of the Gnulib module "readline", and I now find myself
> to disagree with that action, undertaken this past November.
>
> What I would like to see is an FTP client that compiles against
> "libreadline/libedit", should either be available, and otherwise
> the client should fall back to the rudimental editing capabilities
> provided by said Gnulib module. What circumstances are speaking
> against this remedy?

I don't know -- I think that approach seems like the right one.

Btw, the reason for not using the readline module from gnulib was that
InetUtils doesn't meet the requirements for that module -- the
"readline" module in gnulib is intended for packages that only need the
"readline" function.  InetUtils needs more than that, it uses
add_history as well.  This is just an explanation, I'm not saying this
is ideal, but to do something differently we need some patches.

> The benefit would be a an FTP client that at all times is capable
> enough to use in scripts, although users might miss the history
> support, should they have been unattentative at build time.
>
> In the present situation, the failure to build the FTP client
> will lead to a system dependent failure when generating the
> manpages using "help2man". I believe to recall at least two
> machines aborting the first build step due to this mistake.

What is the error message?  Why doesn't the FTP client build?

/Simon