Re: [PATCH] macos: do let the build find the gettext headers/libraries/msgfmt

From: Carlo Arenas <carenas@gmail.com>
To: Johannes Schindelin <Johannes.Schindelin@gmx.de>
Cc: "Eric Sunshine" <sunshine@sunshineco.com>,
	"Johannes Schindelin via GitGitGadget" <gitgitgadget@gmail.com>,
	"Git List" <git@vger.kernel.org>,
	"SZEDER Gábor" <szeder.dev@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [PATCH] macos: do let the build find the gettext headers/libraries/msgfmt
Date: Sun, 26 Apr 2020 08:54:50 -0700	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <CAPUEspiici3-tTTe=AWcNWgS4CN8OiqtaE46dQGcNW5weFC8Aw@mail.gmail.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <nycvar.QRO.7.76.6.2004251452200.18039@tvgsbejvaqbjf.bet>

On Sat, Apr 25, 2020 at 5:59 AM Johannes Schindelin
<Johannes.Schindelin@gmx.de> wrote:
>
> On Thu, 23 Apr 2020, Eric Sunshine wrote:
>
> > On Thu, Apr 23, 2020 at 12:17 PM Eric Sunshine <sunshine@sunshineco.com> wrote:
> > > I'm slightly leery of seeing these applied globally on Mac OS in
> > > config.mak.uname since various package managers on Mac OS install
> > > packages in wildly different locations, and these settings might cause
> > > the wrong version of a package to be picked up if a user has a
> > > preferred version installed elsewhere.
> >
> > As a follow up, although slightly leery of applying this change
> > globally to config.mak.uname, I don't necessarily oppose it either.
> > Considering how widely adopted Homebrew is on Mac OS, baking in a bit
> > of Homebrew-specific knowledge would make it easier for a Git
> > developer to get up and running by eliminating some of the manual
> > fiddling and configuration currently necessary.
>
> I share your concern. But in contrast to Fink and DarwinPorts, we have no
> Homebrew-specific knob in the Makefile (does this mean that we expect
> users to use Homebrew by default?).

IMHO the reason why there is no NO_BREW flag is because brew decided
to use the "default" directory instead of one of their own (which is
why it has so many issues with unlinked files that might or not
conflict with the system, like gettext), this is also why a NO_BREW
flag (similar to the other two introduced since 8eb38cad44 (Disable
linking with Fink or DarwinPorts., 2006-07-24)) wouldn't make sense.

my assumption is also that most people in macOS use brew nowadays
instead of fink, darwinports or any of the other alternatives, but
there is also people that use none and it is that complication why my
proposed patch was in what would seem like the wrong place to begin
with.  for more context in that last point see: 59f8674006 (Move Fink
and Ports check to after config file, 2006-12-12).

on that last point, I am afraid there is still at least a problem that
needs addressing, but will comment in patch instead for easy of
reference.

Carlo