[RFC] .la files cleanup

[RFC] .la files cleanup

[Dmitry Eremin-Solenikov]

Proposal: extend some bbclass with a task to remove unused .la files

Rationale: There are lots of recipes, which install tons of .la files
(thanks libtool),
but then do not ship them (correctly as most of them are unused in
real systems).
My proposal would be to include a special task or a
do_install_append() part that
will remove specified .la files. (like ${libdir}/xorg/modules/*/.la,
${libdir}/matchbox-panel/*.la, etc.). I see this usually done in
do_install or in special do_install_append
parts, but I think it would be better to handle this globally.

-- 
With best wishes
Dmitry

Re: [RFC] .la files cleanup

[Richard Purdie]

On Mon, 2011-10-03 at 14:58 +0400, Dmitry Eremin-Solenikov wrote:
> Proposal: extend some bbclass with a task to remove unused .la files
> 
> Rationale: There are lots of recipes, which install tons of .la files
> (thanks libtool),
> but then do not ship them (correctly as most of them are unused in
> real systems).
> My proposal would be to include a special task or a
> do_install_append() part that
> will remove specified .la files. (like ${libdir}/xorg/modules/*/.la,
> ${libdir}/matchbox-panel/*.la, etc.). I see this usually done in
> do_install or in special do_install_append
> parts, but I think it would be better to handle this globally.

I think the simple append to the recipes concerned is just as simple as
any addition to core classes to try and do this generically...

Cheers,

Richard

Re: [RFC] .la files cleanup

[Phil Blundell]

On Mon, 2011-10-03 at 14:58 +0400, Dmitry Eremin-Solenikov wrote:
> My proposal would be to include a special task or a
> do_install_append() part that
> will remove specified .la files. (like ${libdir}/xorg/modules/*/.la,
> ${libdir}/matchbox-panel/*.la, etc.). I see this usually done in
> do_install or in special do_install_append
> parts, but I think it would be better to handle this globally.

I guess the ideal solution would be to find a way to stop libtool from
installing these things in the first place.  It isn't totally obvious to
me that the .la files are a net benefit even for real shared libraries,
and for plugins I think they are probably a net loss in most/all cases.

When this issue last came up it seemed that Richard's preferred fix was
to just ship the .la files in FILES_${PN}-dev, and I guess that approach
does at least have the merit of simplicity.  See:

http://lists.linuxtogo.org/pipermail/openembedded-core/2011-July/005533.html

p.

Re: [RFC] .la files cleanup

[Dmitry Eremin-Solenikov]

On 10/03/2011 06:55 PM, Phil Blundell wrote:
> On Mon, 2011-10-03 at 14:58 +0400, Dmitry Eremin-Solenikov wrote:
>> My proposal would be to include a special task or a
>> do_install_append() part that
>> will remove specified .la files. (like ${libdir}/xorg/modules/*/.la,
>> ${libdir}/matchbox-panel/*.la, etc.). I see this usually done in
>> do_install or in special do_install_append
>> parts, but I think it would be better to handle this globally.
>
> I guess the ideal solution would be to find a way to stop libtool from
> installing these things in the first place.  It isn't totally obvious to
> me that the .la files are a net benefit even for real shared libraries,
> and for plugins I think they are probably a net loss in most/all cases.
>
> When this issue last came up it seemed that Richard's preferred fix was
> to just ship the .la files in FILES_${PN}-dev, and I guess that approach
> does at least have the merit of simplicity.  See:
>
> http://lists.linuxtogo.org/pipermail/openembedded-core/2011-July/005533.html

I see... Then I'd drop some local patches dropping .la files and just 
push them into -dev packages.

RP, is that suitable for you?

-- 
With best wishes
Dmitry

Re: [RFC] .la files cleanup

[Otavio Salvador]

On Mon, Oct 3, 2011 at 14:06, Dmitry Eremin-Solenikov
<dbaryshkov@gmail.com> wrote:
> On 10/03/2011 06:55 PM, Phil Blundell wrote:
...
> I see... Then I'd drop some local patches dropping .la files and just push
> them into -dev packages.
>
> RP, is that suitable for you?

Isn't a post install hook with:

find ${D} -name '*.la' -exec rm '{}' ';'

All we need?

-- 
Otavio Salvador                             O.S. Systems
E-mail: otavio@ossystems.com.br  http://www.ossystems.com.br
Mobile: +55 53 9981-7854              http://projetos.ossystems.com.br

Re: [RFC] .la files cleanup

[Khem Raj]

On 10/3/2011 7:55 AM, Phil Blundell wrote:
> On Mon, 2011-10-03 at 14:58 +0400, Dmitry Eremin-Solenikov wrote:
>> My proposal would be to include a special task or a
>> do_install_append() part that
>> will remove specified .la files. (like ${libdir}/xorg/modules/*/.la,
>> ${libdir}/matchbox-panel/*.la, etc.). I see this usually done in
>> do_install or in special do_install_append
>> parts, but I think it would be better to handle this globally.
>
> I guess the ideal solution would be to find a way to stop libtool from
> installing these things in the first place.  It isn't totally obvious to
> me that the .la files are a net benefit even for real shared libraries,
> and for plugins I think they are probably a net loss in most/all cases.
>

I also have this opinion. I think we need to experiment by not 
installing .la at all and see what breaks. I would guess very little

> When this issue last came up it seemed that Richard's preferred fix was
> to just ship the .la files in FILES_${PN}-dev, and I guess that approach
> does at least have the merit of simplicity.  See:
>
> http://lists.linuxtogo.org/pipermail/openembedded-core/2011-July/005533.html
>
> p.
>
>
>
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