Details
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Bug
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Status: Closed
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Minor
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Resolution: Fixed
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0.8
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NetBSD
Description
test/cpp/Makefile.am includes targets whose dependency rule relies on the variable "$<" to pick up the first dependency. This variable is specific to GNU make; it is not supported by most BSD make programs. AFAICT this is the only such dependency on GNU make. I was able to build thrift using BSD make; I was prevented only from installing it (because install invokes tests).
BSD make has no analog for $<. The simplest fix I know of is to repeat the name of the first dependency the command. The second easiest fix would be to document the limitation. 
Three other suggestions, if I may:
1. It would be nice if the DIR for --with-boost=DIR were more clearly specified. It's not obvious that --with-boost=/usr/pkg is what's needed if the Boost headers are in /usr/pkg/include/boost.
2. The defaults indicated by configure --help are IMO misleading because they're the defaults if configure detects them. I would prefer all default to No, and for configure to stop with an error if --with-foo is specified and fails. It is otherwise exceedingly difficult to detect automatically whether the specified configuration was in fact installed.
3. The thrift error message is ridiculous:
$ thrift --foo 2>&1 | wc -l
78
The first line "No output language(s) specified" (less the "!!!", please) suffices to indicate the syntax error. The user can more easily consult the manual to learn how to use the program than read 78 lines of output on his terminal. The "help" obscures the error.
Thanks.
