[MINC-users] Register's configure test for GLUT

[Andrew Janke]

Hi Jim,

2008/8/20 EJ Nikelski <nikelski at bic.mni.mcgill.ca>:
>   I keep inadvertently  using my gmail address when sending to the
> list ... resulting in my mail being tossed.  So, I'm resending my
> response from yesterday -- assuming it didn't make it to the list.

Nope, didnt make it.

> I would suggest that the real solution to
> problems such as these is to move to a build system which can be
> easily groked by all.
>
>  Enter CMake.

Well first of you will note that there is a CMakeLists.txt thingo in
the base MINC package. This was written (by me!) for use in the
itkMINC module.

My experience with it so far has been somewhat positive (once I got my
head around the bootstraping problem -- ie: getting CMake onto your
system to start with).

So comments (in no particular order).

* There are no inbuilt "make dist" "make distcheck" type things with
the same ease of use of autoconf.

* There is far less out there in terms of documentation. I refuse to
buy a $80? manual for something that is "free". Especially as the
manual will change.

* CMake is strongly slanted towards VTK/ITK (no surprise there).

* There are far far less macros out there for use in other things
(like find me GLUT, find me GL, etc). You will note that I have a
cmake-modules/ dir in MINC that contains a few of these that I have
found/written. Perhaps this will change in time.

* CMake seems to me to be written for the purpose of building
executables and libraries (fair enough) whereas autoconf/automake also
caters for the package builders and testers amongst us.

* I like the dashboard stuff associated with CMake but have not found
time to make it go just yet.

Note that I am not making a case for/against CMake but now I reckon I
will continue with autoconf if only because of the enormous amount of
work required right now to shift everything.


-- 
Andrew Janke - andrew.janke at anu.edu.au
Department of Geriatric Medicine, ANU
(a.janke at gmail.com || http://a.janke.googlepages.com/)
Canberra->Australia +61 (402) 700 883