[LLVMbugs] [Bug 106] New: Consider Use Of automake Tool For LLVM

[bugzilla-daemon at zion.cs.uiuc.edu]

http://llvm.cs.uiuc.edu/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=106

           Summary: Consider Use Of automake Tool For LLVM
           Product: Build scripts
           Version: 1.0
          Platform: All
        OS/Version: All
            Status: NEW
          Severity: normal
          Priority: P2
         Component: Makefiles
        AssignedTo: criswell at uiuc.edu
        ReportedBy: rspencer at x10sys.com


While the current "roll your own" Makefile system is serving LLVM well, it is in
competition with the standard open source / free software convention: automake.

There are some good reasons for considering adoption of automake:

1. Lots of developer eyes are on it meaning it gets fixed fast.
2. Standardized target names that most developers are familiar with.
3. Comprehensive feature/functions supported including just about every known
   build tool and then some.
4. Platform independence on platform specific tools. This isn't much of an issue
   today but wait until LLVM gets ported to AIX, MacOS or Windows.
5. Transparent/simplified integration with libtool (makes using libtool trivial)

On the down side there is:

1. Its a fairly large conversion task at this point and doesn't produce any 
   LLVM specific enhancements, just easier down the road development.
2. There might be some funky things LLVM does in its makefile that could
   confict with automake. I can't imagine what, however.
3. I'd probably end up getting stuck doing it :) .. Kidding, I wouldn't mind
   actually.

I'd like everyone's opinion on this because such a change would alter the way
you write Makefiles (although automake is somewhat similar to what you have now).



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