[debhelper-devel] Bug#795253: Bug#795253: Add support for Meson build system

[Niels Thykier]

Michael Biebl:
> Hi
> 

Hi,

BCCed Helmut Grohne: @Helmut, we are talking about adding a new build
system to debhelper (meson + ninja).  I wanted you to be aware of it in
case you had some early remarks on doing cross-building with it (see the
last paragraphs). :)

> Am 24.03.2017 um 06:28 schrieb Niels Thykier:
>> [...]
> 
> 
> So, I thought about this and I think it's a non-issue.
> debhelper already ships build classes for e.g. cmake and qmake but does
> not actually declare a dependency on those packages. It expect the
> packages using cmake/qmake to add that Build-Depends themselves. The
> same would be true for meson. Packages using that build system would add
> meson to Build-Depends.
> 

So it does.  Sorry for sleeping in class. :)

Indeed, as long as we can do the detection without any special
Build-Depends, we should be good (which seems to be the case here).

>> [...]
>>
>> There is an ordering inside debhelper to deal with that, which can be
>> changed during a compat bump.  Possibly, we need some logic to keep the
>> meason build lower than the third-party build systems until then as well
>> (in the off-hand case that meason was /also/ available in packages with
>> those third party build systems - doubt it, but mentioning it for
>> completion).
> 
> Thanks for the hint. I was already pointed at this on IRC.
> The biebl/meson branch adds meson to the list as last option. Which
> means a package shipping both autotools and meson support would get
> autotools by default, which is ok I guess.
> 

Thanks.  We can always chance that order in a later compat. :)

>> A dh-meson package would avoid most of the initial issues of listed
>> above and can update in its own pace (without the same regard to compat
>> bumps, etc).
>>
>> But either way is fine with me - as long as we have a solution to the
>> above issues before we upload a debhelper with the meason+ninja build
>> systems enabled into unstable (feel free to abuse experimental though).
> 
> I started working on this a bit, see the aforementioned biebl/meson
> branch in debhelper.git.
> 
> Thought/review welcome, especially with regards to cross-building which
> I left out completely.
> 
> Jussi, maybe you have some experience with that.
> 
> [...]

>From what little I know about meson + ninja, looks fine.  The only
comment I have is that the ninja file speaks a lot about Makefiles
without the code ever touching one. :)  Guess it is copy-waste
left-overs from make.pm?

Re: cross-build, Helmut is usually my goto person for that.  Admittedly,
he usually contacts me when he discovers an issue.  Anyway, per above, I
have BCC'ed him, so he at least knows about this work. :)

Thanks,
~Niels