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RE: UNC and POSIX paths


 Hello!

> Because some scripts try to use
> 
> $(DESTDIR)/$(PREFIX)
> 
> rather than
> 
> $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)

 Yes, exactly, this is what i have got.
 I start to have these problems when i try to do non-standard things like
cross-compiling Linux kernel and some 3rd party modules. :)
 Ability to run 'make install_modules' requires /sbin/depmod. With hardcoded
/sbin path. So, i have to cross-compile module-init-tools with '--prefix=/'.
This is the first place where i get '//'. Well, perhaps i'm lame and
'--prefix=' is the correct thing, not what i write. However i just followed
the tradition here
 Next, module-init-tools relies on either 'docbook2man' or 'docbook-to-man'.
I guess both packages are considered obsolete by Cygwin, we have
'docbook2x-man' instead. So, i have to build one of those two packages.
$(DESTDIR)/$(PREFIX) is found in the first one.
 Well, perhaps irrelevant because it fails to build with new awk (or
something like that, already don't remember). So i have found (ancient)
docbook-to-man and built it. Works.

 Also i remember getting this little problem somewhere else in the past.
Already don't remember...

 Now my last arguments...
 First. Actually, we may consider this as kind of interoperability problem.
Technically it's possible to fix this at either side. However, let's say we
have three packages suffering from this problem. So, it's possible to do
either three fixes (for packages), or a single fix (for Cygwin). A single
fix is less time-consuming. Especially taking into account that a half of us
uses Cygwin at work, where we have other tasks to do.
 Second, if we take a look at real-world POSIX systems (Linux, BSD, whatever
else), they don't use '//' for network paths. Instead they use mountable
filesystems. And Cygwin's goal is to fully implement UNIX-compatible
environment, isn't it ? So, consequently, having a mount point would me more
compatible with other real-world systems.
 Third, package's author can say: 'nobody else has this problem, so it's
Cygwin's bug, not mine, i won't fix'. Or he can simply blindly hate Windows.
My another topic (cross-compiling Linux kerne) contains an example of such
an attitude.
 And, i agree, '//' is shorter to type than '/unc/'. :) And perhaps someone
already relies on '//' in his scripts for his installation.

 To sum things up, this was just an opinion. I didn't want to start a war.
:)

Kind regards,
Pavel Fedin
Expert Engineer
Samsung Electronics Research center Russia



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