Re: Trying to install binutils-gdb

Re: Trying to install binutils-gdb

[Maciej W. Rozycki]

On Fri, 29 Sep 2023, Nick Clifton via Binutils wrote:

> > >    If you only want to build the binutils and not GDB as well then
> > >    you can add a configure option to disable GDB.  This may help
> > >    reduce the need for extra libraries to be installed.  ie:
> > > 
> > > 	./configure --disable-gdb
> > 
> > ...so this step would then be confusing.
> > 
> > IMHO it needs to say something like "if you build from a
> > checkout of the binutils-gdb git, you may also want to build
> > only binutils and exclude gdb, like so:" [...]
> 
> That makes sense.  I have checked in the following updated patch instead.

 I have only come across this message now.

 Note that nowadays we have other GDB components at the top level, most 
notably `gdbserver', as well as the GNU simulator, all of which are a part 
of the GDB project.  So to build parts that comprise binutils only from a 
git checkout you really need to disable more, such as with:

$ ./configure --disable-gdb --disable-gdbserver --disable-libbacktrace \
  --disable-libdecnumber --disable-readline --disable-sim

This is what I have been doing with my builds.

 I'll be happy to offer a patch if this turns out how we want to update 
binutils/README further, however it seems to me that we probably want to 
have a pair of umbrella options, say `--disable-gdb-components' and 
`--disable-binutils-components', to let people choose more easily what 
project they want to build from a checkout without the need to dive into 
individual components and also possibly without having to keep track of 
what new components get added as they upgrade.  There'd be a slight 
maintenance burden for such options though.

 Cc-ing the GDB mailing list for any input from the other camp.

  Maciej

Re: Trying to install binutils-gdb

[Guinevere Larsen]

On 28/01/2024 20:30, Maciej W. Rozycki wrote:
> On Fri, 29 Sep 2023, Nick Clifton via Binutils wrote:
>
>>>>     If you only want to build the binutils and not GDB as well then
>>>>     you can add a configure option to disable GDB.  This may help
>>>>     reduce the need for extra libraries to be installed.  ie:
>>>>
>>>> 	./configure --disable-gdb
>>> ...so this step would then be confusing.
>>>
>>> IMHO it needs to say something like "if you build from a
>>> checkout of the binutils-gdb git, you may also want to build
>>> only binutils and exclude gdb, like so:" [...]
>> That makes sense.  I have checked in the following updated patch instead.
>   I have only come across this message now.
>
>   Note that nowadays we have other GDB components at the top level, most
> notably `gdbserver', as well as the GNU simulator, all of which are a part
> of the GDB project.  So to build parts that comprise binutils only from a
> git checkout you really need to disable more, such as with:
>
> $ ./configure --disable-gdb --disable-gdbserver --disable-libbacktrace \
>    --disable-libdecnumber --disable-readline --disable-sim
>
> This is what I have been doing with my builds.
>
>   I'll be happy to offer a patch if this turns out how we want to update
> binutils/README further, however it seems to me that we probably want to
> have a pair of umbrella options, say `--disable-gdb-components' and
> `--disable-binutils-components', to let people choose more easily what
> project they want to build from a checkout without the need to dive into
> individual components and also possibly without having to keep track of
> what new components get added as they upgrade.  There'd be a slight
> maintenance burden for such options though.

yes please!

I can never remember all the components that I need to disable from 
binutils to get as quick a compilation as possible. I am still not sure 
if I did disable everything or if copying my previous configure run 
isn't accidentally building some parts unnecessarily. I'm not sure if I 
personally like the `-components` suffix, but I don't have any better 
suggestions.

-- 
Cheers,
Guinevere Larsen
She/Her/Hers

>
>   Cc-ing the GDB mailing list for any input from the other camp.
>
>    Maciej
>

Re: Trying to install binutils-gdb

[Nick Clifton]

Hi Maciej,

> $ ./configure --disable-gdb --disable-gdbserver --disable-libbacktrace \
>    --disable-libdecnumber --disable-readline --disable-sim
> 
> This is what I have been doing with my builds.
> 
>   I'll be happy to offer a patch if this turns out how we want to update
> binutils/README further,

I think that that would be a good idea, at least until your suggestion
below is implemented.

> however it seems to me that we probably want to
> have a pair of umbrella options, say `--disable-gdb-components' and
> `--disable-binutils-components', to let people choose more easily what
> project they want to build from a checkout without the need to dive into
> individual components and also possibly without having to keep track of
> what new components get added as they upgrade.  There'd be a slight
> maintenance burden for such options though.

To make things simpler, I think that it might be better to have users
'enable' the tool that they want.  ie:

   "configure --enable-gdb"        just configure gdb and friends
   "configure --enable-binutils"   just configures the binutils stuff

We might even make it so that if neither of these options are given then
configure prints: "configuring both GDB and BINUTILS, is this really what you want ?"
or something like that.

Cheers
   Nick