Re: [PATCH] Fix build with GNU Make 3.81

[Tom de Vries <tdevries@suse.de>]

On 12/14/19 7:21 PM, Simon Marchi wrote:
> On 2019-12-14 3:15 a.m., Bernd Edlinger wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> I have a minor problem with building the gdbserver, alloc-ipa.o
>> on ubuntu 14.04 which still uses GNU Make 3.81.
>>
>> Since several quirks for this GNU Make version exist, I suppose
>> this version is still intended to be supported.
>>
>> This patch fixes the build with this make version, and works
>> also for newer versions.
>>
>>
>> Thanks
>> Bernd.
>>
> 
> Hi Bernd,
> 
> The intention was to support make >= 3.82, since this commit:
> 
> https://sourceware.org/git/gitweb.cgi?p=binutils-gdb.git;h=c6bdbeb7c468489da9468445057d245929c3d91c
> 
> Though it's possible that (stale) references and tweaks for make 3.81
> are left.
> 
> I don't mind if we merge simple fixes like that, as long as it doesn't compromise
> building with newer versions.  Like, if there was a super-duper cool feature of
> make 3.82 that would really simplify our lives, we would still prefer using that
> over keeping compatibility with make 3.81.

I don't follow this reasoning.

There's a bug in make 3.81, which we run into with the gdb build.

We then require make 3.82, such that gdb builds again for all supported
make versions.

Subsequently (that is, 3 days later) we work around the bug in make 3.81
with a gdb commit.

But we decide to still require make 3.82, even if the original reason to
do so is no longer valid, and I'm assuming we haven't started using make
3.82 features in the 3 days inbetween.

Are there other considerations at play here, that are not being made
explicit?

Because if there are not, we should update NEWS to say we support 3.81
again.

Thanks,
- Tom