[CMake] General questions

[Yang Zhang]

Andreas Pakulat wrote:
> On 24.02.08 16:27:47, Yang Zhang wrote:
>>>> - Can cmake auto-infer libraries based on #includes + a DB of
>>>> header-to-library mappings?
>>> Not sure. I'll let the cmake developers answer that one.
>>>> - Can cmake generate autotools inputs (for POSIX-portable
>>>> preferably-GNU-compliant packaging)?
>>> CMake is a _replacement_ for AutoTools but NOT make. CMake will generate
>>> a system specific MakeFile for the system it is run on. The Makefiles
>>> are NOT portable across systems unless those systems are EXACT MIRROR
>>> COPIES of each other. Running cmake is the same as doing ./configure in
>>> an autotools project.
>> I'm aware of this, but I was wondering if cmake can generate autotools 
>> inputs so as to create POSIX-portable preferably-GNU-compliant packages.
> 
> That doesn't make sense. CMake projects are portable, without the need
> for intermediate autotool buildfiles. Really CMake and autotools do the
> same thing, just that autotools are not doing it very well.
> 
> The idea is that you're going to have cmake installed on your target
> systems, not autotools. You don't need autotools anymore.
> 
> Andreas
> 

I understand your point, but support for cmake is not as ubiquitous as 
it is for autotools. For instance, a cross-platform build system I'm 
using (a bitbake/openembedded derivative) does not support cmake. As 
another example, a tool I use for best-effort management of software 
packages (http://toastball.net/toast/) does not support cmake.

I suppose the answer to my question, then, is "no." :)

-- 
Yang Zhang
http://www.mit.edu/~y_z/