Paul,

I have to object to this recent modification to config/init/manifest.pm:


r21314 | paultcochrane | 2007-09-17 03:04:46 -0400 (Mon, 17 Sep 2007) | 6 lines

[config] If some files are missing in the repository, but are mentioned in the MANIFEST then Configure complains, saying that it can't continue without these files. However, Configure continues anyway, which is not the intended behaviour. This commit now causes Configure to exit instead of just return at this point.


Index: config/init/manifest.pm
===================================================================
--- config/init/manifest.pm     (revision 21271)
+++ config/init/manifest.pm     (working copy)
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@

 END

-        return;
+        exit 1;
     }

     return $self;


I object to this because it implicitly short-circuits a discussion we've been having in another thread about what Configure.pl should do when a particular configuration step fails.

If, for example, we haven't yet collectively come to the conclusion that configuration should stop if it can't find a valid C-compiler, then we're not at a point where we can collectively say that configuration should stop if a particular file is missing from the MANIFEST. As I have argued recently, we need to place the discussion of how to handle the failings of a particular configuration step in the context of an overall discussion.

(As a matter of fact, config/init/manifest.pm is one of the few config steps that, IMO, handles failure well.)

I recommend that you back this change out of head and file an RT proposing the change.

kid51

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