kicad-developers team mailing list archive

[Dick Hollenbeck <dick@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 08/16/2014 11:44 AM, Wayne Stambaugh wrote:
> One of the tasks that I have committed to working on in the KiCad road
> map is to clean up the current mess we have created by allowing
> dependency libraries to be built as part of the KiCad source build.  The
> only exception I see for the time being is Boost.  Although I am have my
> reservations on that as well.  Why you ask?  I've spent several days
> trying to get KiCad to build on Windows using MSYS2 as my build
> environment and mingw64 as my target environment.  Every single library
> dependency with the exception of our custom Boost and avhttp (which
> could easily be build and installed using CMake) are already packaged
> for me.  However, the current KiCad build insists on downloading and
> building some libraries from source that are already installed.  This is
> silly.  I can resolve the issues by passing all of the
> PACKAGE_ROOT_PATHs when I run CMake but that is silly as well since my
> build environment already points the correct path.
> 
> Originally I intended to create a separate project to build the KiCad
> library dependencies but I have since changed my mind.  I do *not* think
> it is asking too much of developers to learn how to build and/or install
> libraries on their preferred platform.  If as a developer you must have
> this done for you automatically, I am going to please ask that *you*
> create a separate platform specific build tool such as the excellent
> kicad-winbuilder that Brian has created.  This will significantly
> simplify the KiCad CMake files and eliminate the situation I described
> above.  My preference and goal is that the KiCad CMake files be used to
> build KiCad, not library dependencies.
> 
> Initially, I plan to remove the dependencies that do not require any
> patching to build which currently are avhttp, swig, cairo, libpng,
> pixman, pcre, pkgconfig, and glew.  Then I will remove the dependencies
> with platform specific patches which are openssl, wxwidgets and
> wxpython.  Then I will try to figure out what to do with the problem
> child that is Boost.  I would also suggest that all platform specific
> library dependency build patches be remove as well leaving only the
> Boost patches that are required for all platforms (except the context
> switching patches).
> 
> My goal here is not to step on anyone's toes it is to get our build
> system under control so that I can build *KiCad* rather than figure out
> how to get the dependencies to build or not as the platform dictates.  I
> expect our code to be well designed and I don't think expecting the same
> from our build system design is out of line. 


> If any one has major
> objections then we will have to figure something out because I am not
> going to continue to spend valuable time fighting our build tools to get
> them to properly use the dependencies already installed on my platform.
> 
> Wayne


I empathize with you.  I say you simply put your foot down.  This is one of those "Linus
sends the ARM maintainers back to the drawing board with device tree" moments.  Except
that CMake is better than device tree.  Here the Mac and windows builders have to pay.


My suggestions:

Really you Wayne could just delete stuff you don't want in there.  Then do a diff.  Take
the negative of the diff and make that a second CMake "kicad prerequisites" builder.    So
it gets split into two builders, and initially the second half will not work, but the Mac
and Windows guys can clean it up.

After all from your perspective you are not breaking anything, you are restoring order to
a build system you've used for years without issue until recently.

But caution.  CMake is an awesome builder.  One should not assume that anything in there
is expendable.  Its all very valuable information, it just needs to be separated out.  I
would also say that this is NOT a platform specific discussion.

If someone wants to build a windows KiCad on linux, then they certainly have few to no
previously installed packages and the knowledge embodied in these recipes is critical (and
cross-platform/cross-compiling with minor work).

Each external_project in the second build system could be Yes/No selectable.  It is a real
opportunity for a someone to develop a valuable tool that would extend beyond KiCad.  And
maybe some of the folks that put together CMake would be willing to offer help and advice.
 There are some advanced ways for information to flow from the first pass builder into the
kicad builder.

This is an opportunity for many and for much.   It is also potentially a junk yard, unless
enough step up to pick up the pieces.  I won't be able to help, but I see much promise in
this.

Certainly the MAC developers have the most to lose here, and with a little help can keep
this from becoming a catastrophic blow to the KiCad Mac support.  While at the same time
bringing value to the Mac and Windows platforms for a broad range of other projects.


Dick