[PATCH] libtool patch for direct-linking-to-dll

[Charles Wilson]

[Oops.  I replied to Ralf's message without changing the To: address. 
And since Ralf's message was originally sent to cygwin-apps (where it 
didn't belong: bad Ralf); my reply went there too: bad Chuck.  No cookie.)

Okay, I've actually looked at the patch now.  Apparently I misunderstood.

I thought this was a patch to enable using libtool to link against an 
outside shared library in which the implib was actually a symlink to a 
DLL -- which I didn't think would require much if any hacking with 
libtool, so I was curious to see what you did

I didn't realize it was a patch to rip out all of the import-lib 
building stuff, and replace it with the new link-to-dll support.

I don't think that's a good idea just yet; I hate to be a wet blanket, 
but I think this should stay out of the main tree for a while. 
[Basically, I'm nervous about such a radical change in libtool's 
fundamental behavior this close to its release date].

Now that the appropriate support is in the released binutils, let it 
simmer for a while -- a long while.  If you want to use this in your 
build of qt/kde, fine by me -- that'd be a good test bed. (I'm sure we 
can work out something about the 'official packages must only use other 
official packages to build' so that your qt stuff can be added to the 
distro.  -- see below).  If there are no problems after a few months, 
then we'll look at getting it into libtool 1.5.1 or 1.5.2 or whatever. 
But not 1.5 -- it's just too big a change. :-(

--Chuck

(*) For instance, libtoolize/autoconf/whatever with the 'stock cygwin 
version' -- and then supply a *qt* patch that inserts your nifty changes 
into the qt-3.0.3/ltmain.sh during the qt build process.  Or heck, just 
ship qt patched with your local version of libtool; the autotools are 
not supposed to be necessary for the "ordinary" user who just wants to 
compile the package.  And hardly anyone will recompile qt on their own, 
anyway -- they just want to link TO it.  So long as it's *possible* 
(even if difficult; hello cgf-packaging-system <g>) to rebuild your qt 
on a stock cygwin system, then you're okay IMO.


> 2003-02-27  Ralf Habacker  <ralf.habacker@freenet.de>
> 
>     * libtool.m4 (AC_LIBTOOL_SYS_DYNAMIC_LINKER): Removed
>     postinstall_cmds and postuninstall_cmds,
>       added shared library to 'library_names_spec'.
>     (AC_LIBTOOL_LANG_CXX_CONFIG): Removed import library
>      generation from 'archive_cmds'.
> 
>     * ltmain.sh: (install cygwin/mingw): added installing
>     of shared libraries into 'bin' dir
>     (uninstall cygwin/mingw): added uninstalling
>     of shared libraries
> 
> Ralf
> 




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