Re: configure/RELEASE contents

[Andrew Johnson <anj@aps.anl.gov>]

Geoff Savage wrote:
> I have two environment variables that are set when I go to build a top
> area, EPICS_DIR and EPICS_EXTENSIONS_DIR, in addition to
> EPICS_HOST_ARCH.  I want to use these environment variables in
> configure/RELEASE to specify where the external products are located.
>
> EPICS_BASE=$(EPICS_DIR)
> SYMB=$(EPICS_EXTENSIONS_DIR)
> VXSTATS=$(EPICS_EXTENSIONS_DIR)

We semi-deliberately don't look at environment variables used in the 
RELEASE, because that's asking for an unmanagable build system - you can't 
be sure that you'll ever be able to build exactly the same binary that you 
were running two versions ago because you don't know how the guy who built 
it had his environment variables set (unless you put the environment 
variables under configuration control as well).

> With these definitions there are environment variables missing from
> configure/O.solaris-sparc/CONFIG_APP_INCLUDE.  For example when
> constructing dbd files that include dbCommon.dbd the dbCommon.dbd file
> is not found.
>
> When I use absolute paths everything works.  Would someone please remind
> me why I need to use absolute paths when specifying products in the
> configure/RELEASE file?  Can I specify these variables in a different
> location?

Don't use environment variables.  Your configure/RELEASE file can contain 
include statements, so can pull in settings from files elsewhere.  I 
suggest that if you don't like having to set up all your pointers to the 
'right' versions in every application, that you have another file containing
	SUPPORT=/path/to/something
	EPICS_DIR=/path/to/base
	SYMB=$(SUPPORT)/symb
	VXSTATS=$(SUPPORT)/vxStats

Now if you want to change the version of symb used in everything, you can 
just modify that one file.

- Andrew
--
There are 10 types of people in the world:
Those who understand binary, and those who don't.