[GRASSLIST:5338] Would a simpler, common, configuration be desirable?

[William L. Baker]

I notice that a lot of discussion goes into how to get configuration to
work under various Linux distributions. It seems there are two issues:
1. files may be in different places, 2. necessary libraries, include
files must be downloaded and installed as they are not part of standard
Linux distributions or else not part of their default installations.

I've been installing under Mandrake for a while, and I always have to
add a bunch of --without-fftw sorts of things to ./configure statement
as I just need the basic core of GRASS.

Would it be better to start with a common core of GRASS that can
probably
be configured under most distributions without additions to ./configure,
so that most people could just download GRASS source, type ./configure,
make, make install and have a functioning program?

Maybe a separate "./configure_extras" or something could do all the
stuff that seems to be lacking from many distributions or requires that
we point to where the files are? (e.g., fftw, postgres etc.)

Maybe someone has thought about this already and decided it's not a good
idea
or just not possible?

If not this, then perhaps ./configure could end with an informative
error
statement, such as "necessary fftw libraries were not found on your
system. Go to www.xxxx.xxx to get the necessary files or retype
./configure --without-fftw"?

Just thinking of ways to make configure friendlier.  As Linux gains
ground, GRASS is going to be used by more people who are frustrated by
these little hurdles.

Bill Baker