Re: [PATCH/RFC] Auto detection in Makefile if msgfmt is not available

From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: Feb 12, 2012, 17:22 UTC
Message-ID: <7vr4y0j79w.fsf@alter.siamese.dyndns.org>
In-Reply-To: <CACBZZX4W0onNOstQqNethDBv1tZSijt8Q_HDrcuWr+Z8WYV90w@mail.gmail.com>

Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason <avarab@gmail.com> writes:

Show 5 quoted lines

> 2012/2/12 Torsten Bögershausen <tboegi@web.de>:
>> Added a simple auto-detection and switch to NO_GETTEXT when
>> msgfmt could not be found on the system
>
> Oh look, a start at our very own autoconf replacement :)

It is a bad idea for the Makefile to silently decide to flip NO_GETTEXT when the system happens to be missing msgfmt without letting the user know what is happening. Current behaviour to error out will at least give an opportunity to stop and think if installing gettext suite on the system makes sense before proceeding.

Given that the Makefile only has this to say:

    # Define NO_GETTEXT if you don't want Git output to be translated.
    # A translated Git requires GNU libintl or another gettext implementation,
    # plus libintl-perl at runtime.

expecting that "msgfmt: no such command" clicks "Ah, I do not have gettext suite" for anybody who attempts to build (and fail) Git, it however is also a bit unfair and unhelpful.

Perhaps something like this is necessary and sufficient.

    # Define NO_GETTEXT if you don't want Git output to be translated or if
    # you do not have gettext suite (e.g. "msgfmt" and "gettext" commands).
    # A translated Git requires GNU libintl or another gettext implementation,
    # plus libintl-perl at runtime.