7 This file attempts to describe the processes we use to maintain libtool,
8 and is not part of a release distribution.
13 * If you incorporate a change from somebody on the net:
14 If it is a large change, you must make sure they have signed the
15 appropriate paperwork, and be sure to add their name and email
18 * If a change fixes a test, mention the test in the ChangeLog entry.
20 * If somebody reports a new bug, mention his name in the ChangeLog entry
21 and in the test case you write.
23 * The correct response to most actual bugs is to write a new test case
24 which demonstrates the bug. Then fix the bug, re-run the test suite,
25 and check everything in.
27 * Some files in the libtool package are not owned by libtool. These
28 files should never be edited here. These files are:
43 The ones that are important for a release can be udated with,
44 `make -fMakefile.maint fetch' (or `make -f../Makefile.maint fetch'
45 if you are running from a VPATH build directory, where `../' is the
46 relative path to the directory with `configure' in it).
48 * Changes other than bug fixes must be mentioned in NEWS
54 * Use "make check" liberally, on as many platforms as you can. Use as
55 many compilers and linkers you can.
61 * We've adopted the convention that exported Autoconf macros should be
62 named with a leading `LT_' and be documented in the libtool manual.
63 Internal macros begin with `_LT_' if they are visible to aclocal, or
64 potentially part of an AC_DEFUN/AC_REQUIRE path, or else `_lt_' if
65 they are very low level. This convention was only introduced just
66 before libtool-2.0, so there may still be exceptions in the existing
67 code. But all new code should use it.
69 * All shell variables used internally by libtool's Autoconf macros
70 should be named with the a leading `lt_' (not that they cannot clash
71 with the `_lt_' macro namespace).
74 5. Editing 'ChangeLog'
75 ======================
77 * When in doubt, check that emacs can syntax-color properly in
78 change-log-mode. And preferably use emacs 'C-x 4 a'
79 (add-change-log-entry-other-window) to open ChangeLog with an
80 appropriate new template.
82 * If this change is by a different author, or on a different date to the
83 last entry start a new entry at the top of the file with the format
84 (note two spaces between each field):
86 yyyy-mm-dd Name of Author <email@address>
88 * If more than one person collaborated on the change, additional
89 authors can be listed on subsequent lines, thus:
91 yyyy-mm-dd Name of Main Author <email@address>,
92 Name of Contributor <another@email.address>
94 * Where a change author did not supply a copyright assignment, but the
95 changes they submitted were sufficiently trivial to commit in any case
96 (see the GCS for guidelines on this), then flag this against their
97 name in the header, thus:
99 yyyy-mm-dd Name of Author <email@address> (tiny change)
101 * In ChangeLog.2004 and earlier, 'Name of Author' was sometimes the name
102 of the author of the ChangeLog when the person who made the change
103 being documented didn't supply one. In that case separated from
104 the previous field by a blank line and indented by 1 tab (note, only
105 1 space between fields here) you will see:
107 From Author of Actual Change <email@address>:
109 As of now, don't do that anymore, since the GNU Coding Standards say
110 that the author of the change must be credited in the main entry
111 header for legal purposes.
113 * Preferably the next part should be a description of the overall
114 purpose of the change, separated from the header by a blank line,
115 indented by 1 tab, and filled at column 72. The last character of the
116 description should be a colon, :.
118 * Changes to each file come next. Each new file starts on a new line,
119 indented by 1 tab and starting with an asterisk and a space. Multiple
120 files can be listed here relative to $top_srcdir, and comma separated.
121 Names of functions (or sections as appropriate) to which the change
122 applies should be named inside parentheses and comma separated. If
123 this goes beyond column 72, then parens should be closed and re-opened
126 * file, another/file, test/testcases/foo.test (func_foo)
127 (func_bar, func_baz): Description of changes.
129 * If the change does not apply to particular functions (or sections),
130 the section list can be omitted:
132 * file, another/file, test/testcases/foo.test: General changes.
134 * If the changes are particular to certain architectures, they should be
135 listed after the functions in square brackets:
137 * file, another/file (func_foo) [linux, solaris]: Description of
140 * Subsequent changes in other files that are related to the same overall
141 enhancement or bugfix should be listed concurrently, without blank
142 lines. Always start a fresh line for a new file:
144 * file, another/file (func_foo) [linux, solaris]: Description of
146 * doc/foo.texi (Invoking Foo): Document.
149 * If the change is in response to a problem reported by someone other
150 than the author, then credit them at the end of the description with:
152 Reported by Reporter Name <email@address>.
154 * See the GNU Coding Standards document for more details on ChangeLog
158 2005-01-08 Ralf Wildenhues <Ralf.Wildenhues@gmx.de> (tiny change),
159 Peter O'Gorman <peter@pogma.com>
161 This is the overall description of the purpose of this change
162 and any useful background for a model ChangeLog entry:
164 * HACKING: Updated copyright. This isn't attached to a
165 particular section of the file, so it comes first.
166 (Editing 'ChangeLog'): New section. This applies to the same
167 file, but since it applies to a particular section it starts on
169 (Introduction, Maintenance Notes, Test Suite, Naming)
170 (Editing '.am' Files): If I had changed all these sections in
171 the same way, I can list them like this, being careful to close
172 and reopen the parentheses when starting a new line. The colon
173 only comes after the last section before this description.
175 Reported by Bob Friesenhahn <bfriesen@simple.dallas.tx.us>.
178 6. Editing `.am' Files
179 ======================
181 * Always use $(...) and not ${...}
183 * Use `:', not `true'. Use `exit 1', not `false'.
185 * Use `##' comments liberally. Comment anything even remotely unusual.
187 * Never use basename or dirname. Instead use sed.
189 * Do not use `cd' within back-quotes, use `$(lt__cd)' instead.
190 Otherwise the directory name may be printed, depending on CDPATH.
192 * In general, if a loop is required, it should be silent. Then the body
193 of the loop itself should print each "important" command it runs.
196 7. Editing `.m4sh' Files
197 ========================
199 * Use shell functions, but be careful not to assume local scope for
200 variable names. Don't use `return', instead echo the result of a
201 function and call it from within backquotes.
203 * Function names should be prefixed `func_', the function header should
206 # func_foo [ OPTIONS ]
207 # Description of what func_foo does and returns.
211 # contents of func_foo ...
214 The `$opt_debug' is used to enable shell tracing (Korn shells reset
215 this on function entry).
217 * For functions that are called frequently, if you need to return a
218 value, don't cause unneccessary forking of the shell using echo as
219 described above; instead set the return value in a variable named
220 after the called function with a suffix of `_result'. For example
221 the function `func_quote_for_eval' stores its return value in the
222 variable `$func_quote_for_eval_result'.
224 * Although sh-indentation is set to 2 (by the `Local Variables:' block
225 at the end of .m4sh files), the left margin of the body of shell
226 functions should begin indented by 4 spaces.
229 8. Editing `.m4' Files
230 ======================
232 * Be careful with both `echo' and `$ECHO'. As the latter may be one of
236 $CONFIG_SHELL $0 --fallback-echo
237 it may not have more than one argument, its value may not be eval'ed
238 and the argument may not start with a `-'. As a rule of thumb, use
239 echo .. for literal (constant) strings without leading
240 hyphen and no backslashes within,
241 $ECHO ".." for strings without leading hyphen,
242 $ECHO "X.." | $Xsed otherwise.
245 9. Abstraction layers in libltdl
246 ================================
248 * The libltdl API uses a layered approach to differentiate internal and
249 external interfaces, among other things. To keep the abstraction
250 consistent, files in a given layer may only use APIs from files in the
251 lower layers. The exception to this is lt__glibc.h which serves a
252 dual purpose, as explained later.
254 * At the bottom of the stack we have the system abstraction layer,
255 which tries to smooth over the cracks where there are differences
256 between host systems and compilers. config.h is generated at
257 configure time and is not installed; lt_system.h is an installed
258 file and cannot use macros from config.h:
260 lt_system.h ../config.h
262 * Next up is the libc abstraction layer, which provides a uniform api
263 to various system libc interfaces that differ between hosts supported
264 by libtool. Typically, the files that implement this layer begin:
266 #if defined(HAVE_CONFIG_H)
267 # include HAVE_CONFIG_H
269 #include "lt_system.h"
271 Or if they are installed headers that must work outside the libtool
274 #include <libltdl/lt_system.h>
276 This layer's interface is defined by files that are usually named with
279 ,------------. ,-----------. ,------. ,-------.
280 |lt__dirent.h| |lt__alloc.h| |argz.h| |slist.h|
281 +------------+ +-----------+ +------+ +-------+
282 |lt__dirent.c| |lt__alloc.c| |argz.c| |slist.c|
283 `------------' `-----------' `------' `-------'
285 The exceptions here are argz.h and slist.h which are used
286 independently of libltdl in other projects.
288 * There is also a sub-layer that can be used either by the headers that
289 implement it, in which case its function is to avoid namespace clashes
290 when linked with the GNU C library; Or it can be included by code that
291 wants to program against a glibc like interface, where it also serves
292 the function of pulling in all the glibc-like functionality used by
293 libltdl from a single:
295 #include <libltdl/lt__glibc.h>
297 It consists of the single file:
301 * The next layer are the subsystems of the exported libltdl API, which
302 are defined by files that are named with a leading `lt_' (no double
305 ,----------. ,-------------.
306 |lt_error.h| |lt_dlloader.h|
307 +----------+ +-------------+
308 |lt_error.c| |lt_dlloader.c|
309 `----------' `-------------'
312 * The top layer of the stack is the libltdl API proper, which includes
313 the subsystems automatically:
321 * And finally, there is an additional internal only layer (as evidenced
322 by the `lt__' prefix to the filename!) that defines additional
323 internal interfaces that are not exported to libltdl clients, but are
324 shared between internal files:
329 10. Release Procedure
332 * If you are a libtool maintainer, but have not yet registered your
333 gpg public key and (preferred) email address with the FSF, send an
334 email, preferably GPG-signed, to <ftp-upload@gnu.org> that includes
337 (a) name of package(s) that you are the maintainer for, and your
338 preferred email address.
340 (b) an ASCII armored copy of your GnuPG key, as an attachment.
341 ("gpg --export -a YOUR_KEY_ID > mykey.asc" should give you
344 When you have received acknowledgement of your message, the proper GPG
345 keys will be registered on ftp-upload.gnu.org and only then will you be
346 authorized to upload files to the FSF ftp machines.
348 * Make sure you have wget installed.
350 * Make sure you have a copy of xdelta installed, and a copy of the previous
351 release tarball in the build directory.
353 * Make sure your locale is sane, e.g. by exporting LC_ALL=C.
355 * Double check that serial number updates in public m4 files weren't forgotten
356 since last release (they should be updated in CVS along with commits that
357 require it so that users can work with CVS snapshots).
359 * Double check that libltdl version number updates weren't forgotten since last
360 release (they should be updated in CVS along with commits that require it so
361 that users can work with CVS snapshots).
363 * Update the version number in configure.ac.
364 See http://www.gnu.org/software/libtool/contribute.html for details of
365 the numbering scheme.
367 * Update NEWS, ChangeLog.
371 * Have some tea. If you are running on less than 3.6GHz CPU, order
374 * Run ./configure (or create a build directory first and run configure
375 from there, if you want to keep the build tree separate).
377 * Run `make -fMakefile.maint fetch' (or `make -f../Makefile.maint fetch'
378 if you are running from a VPATH build directory, where `../' is the
379 relative path to the directory with `configure' in it), which will
380 fetch new versions of the files that are maintained outside of
383 * Run `make distcheck' and `make distcheck
384 DISTCHECK_CONFIGURE_FLAGS=--disable-ltdl-install'. If there are any
385 problems, fix them and start again.
387 * Run ./commit from the source tree.
389 * Run `make -fMakefile.maint cvs-dist' (or `make -f../Makefile.maint
390 cvs-dist' if you are running from a VPATH build directory, where `../'
391 is the relative path to the directory with `configure' in it), which
392 will build a release tarball (with `make distcheck'), tag the tree
393 with release-$(VERSION) and generate the gpg signature files.
395 * Run 'make -f[../]Makefile.maint deltas' (pass
396 LASTRELEASE=maj.min[.mic[alpha]] if needed) to create both diff and
397 xdelta files between the previous release tarball and the new with
398 detached gpg signature files and clear signed directive files.
400 * Upload release tarball, diff file and xdelta file, plus their associated
401 detached gpg signature files and clear signed directive files to
402 ftp-upload.gnu.org. If the upload is destined for ftp.gnu.org, then the
403 files should be placed in the /incoming/ftp directory. If the upload is
404 an alpha release destined for alpha.gnu.org, then the files should be
405 placed in the /incoming/alpha directory.
407 * Send announcement to libtool@gnu.org and autotools-announce@gnu.org,
408 if not an alpha send to info-gnu@gnu.org as well.
410 * Update version number in configure.ac to next alpha number.
411 See http://www.gnu.org/software/libtool/contribute.html for details of
412 the numbering scheme.
414 * Update NEWS, ChangeLog.
418 * Update the webpages, libtool.html will need to indicate the latest
419 release number and the news page should get a HTMLified copy of your
420 release announcement.
422 * If not an alpha, replace manual.html with the new one
423 (generate with `make -f[../]Makefile.maint web-manual').
427 11. Alpha release note template
428 ===============================
430 To: libtool@gnu.org, autotools-announce@gnu.org
431 Subject: GNU Libtool @VERSION@ released (alpha release).
433 The Libtool Team is pleased to announce alpha release @VERSION@ of GNU
436 GNU Libtool hides the complexity of using shared libraries behind a
437 consistent, portable interface. GNU Libtool ships with GNU libltdl,
438 which hides the complexity of loading dynamic runtime libraries
439 (modules) behind a consistent, portable interface.
441 Here are the compressed sources:
443 ftp://alpha.gnu.org/gnu/libtool/libtool-@VERSION@.tar.gz
444 ftp://alpha.gnu.org/gnu/libtool/libtool-@VERSION@.tar.bz2
446 Here are the xdeltas and diffs against libtool-@PREV_RELEASE_VERSION_ON_THIS_BRANCH@:
448 ftp://alpha.gnu.org/gnu/libtool/libtool-@PREV_RELEASE_VERSION_ON_THIS_BRANCH@-@VERSION@.diff.gz
449 ftp://alpha.gnu.org/gnu/libtool/libtool-@PREV_RELEASE_VERSION_ON_THIS_BRANCH@-@VERSION@.xdelta
451 Here are the gpg detached signatures:
453 ftp://alpha.gnu.org/gnu/libtool/libtool-@VERSION@.tar.gz.sig
454 ftp://alpha.gnu.org/gnu/libtool/libtool-@VERSION@.tar.bz2.sig
455 ftp://alpha.gnu.org/gnu/libtool/libtool-@PREV_RELEASE_VERSION_ON_THIS_BRANCH@-@VERSION@.diff.gz.sig
456 ftp://alpha.gnu.org/gnu/libtool/libtool-@PREV_RELEASE_VERSION_ON_THIS_BRANCH@-@VERSION@.xdelta.sig
458 You should download the signature named after any tarball you download,
459 and then verify its integrity with, for example:
461 gpg --verify libtool-@VERSION.tar.gz.sig
463 Here are the MD5 and SHA1 checksums:
465 @MD5SUM@ libtool-@VERSION@.tar.gz
466 @MD5SUM@ libtool-@VERSION@.tar.bz2
467 @MD5SUM@ libtool-@PREV_RELEASE_VERSION_ON_THIS_BRANCH@-@VERSION@.diff.gz
468 @MD5SUM@ libtool-@PREV_RELEASE_VERSION_ON_THIS_BRANCH@-@VERSION@.xdelta
469 @SHA1SUM@ libtool-@VERSION@.tar.gz
470 @SHA1SUM@ libtool-@VERSION@.tar.bz2
471 @SHA1SUM@ libtool-@PREV_RELEASE_VERSION_ON_THIS_BRANCH@-@VERSION@.diff.gz
472 @SHA1SUM@ libtool-@PREV_RELEASE_VERSION_ON_THIS_BRANCH@-@VERSION@.xdelta
474 This release has @SUMMARY_OF_IMPROVEMENTS_SINCE_LAST_RELEASE_ON_THIS_BRANCH@.
476 This release was bootstrapped with @BOOTSTRAP_TOOLS_WITH_VERSIONS@,
477 but is useable with @COMPATIBLE_AUTOTOOL_VERSIONS@ in your own
480 Alternatively, you can fetch the unbootstrapped sourcecode from
481 anonymous cvs by using the following commands:
484 $ cvs -z3 -d :ext:anoncvs@savannah.gnu.org:/cvsroot/libtool \
485 co -r @CVS_RELEASE_TAG@ libtool
487 You will then need to have recent (possibly as yet unreleased) versions
488 of Automake and Autoconf installed to bootstrap the checked out
491 New in @VERSION@: @RELEASE_DATE@
493 @EXCERPT_FROM_NEWS_FILE@
495 Please report bugs to <bug-libtool@gnu.org>, along with the verbose
496 output of any failed test groups, and the output from `./libtool --help.'
500 12. Full release note template
501 ==============================
504 Cc: libtool@gnu.org, autotools-announce@gnu.org
505 Subject: GNU Libtool @VERSION@ released.
507 The Libtool Team is pleased to announce the release of GNU Libtool
510 GNU Libtool hides the complexity of using shared libraries behind a
511 consistent, portable interface. GNU Libtool ships with GNU libltdl,
512 which hides the complexity of loading dynamic runtime libraries
513 (modules) behind a consistent, portable interface.
515 This release has @SUMMARY_OF_IMPROVEMENTS_SINCE_LAST_RELEASE_ON_THIS_BRANCH@.
517 New in @VERSION@: @RELEASE_DATE@
519 @EXCERPT_FROM_NEWS_FILE@
521 libtool-@VERSION@ is available now from ftp.gnu.org, along with
522 diffs and xdeltas against libtool-@PREV_RELEASE_VERSION_ON_THIS_BRANCH@
523 that are also available from ftp.gnu.org. Please
524 use a mirror to reduce stress on the main gnu machine:
526 http://www.gnu.org/order/ftp.html
528 Here are the compressed sources:
530 ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/libtool/libtool-@VERSION@.tar.gz
531 ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/libtool/libtool-@VERSION@.tar.bz2
533 Here are the xdeltas and diffs against libtool-@PREV_RELEASE_VERSION_ON_THIS_BRANCH@:
535 ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/libtool/libtool-@PREV_RELEASE_VERSION_ON_THIS_BRANCH@-@VERSION@.diff.gz
536 ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/libtool/libtool-@PREV_RELEASE_VERSION_ON_THIS_BRANCH@-@VERSION@.xdelta
538 Here are the gpg detached signatures:
540 ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/libtool/libtool-@VERSION@.tar.gz.sig
541 ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/libtool/libtool-@VERSION@.tar.bz2.sig
542 ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/libtool/libtool-@PREV_RELEASE_VERSION_ON_THIS_BRANCH@-@VERSION@.diff.gz.sig
543 ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/libtool/libtool-@PREV_RELEASE_VERSION_ON_THIS_BRANCH@-@VERSION@.xdelta.sig
545 You should download the signature named after any tarball you download,
546 and then verify its integrity with, for example:
548 gpg --verify libtool-@VERSION.tar.gz.sig
550 Here are the MD5 and SHA1 checksums:
552 @MD5SUM@ libtool-@VERSION@.tar.gz
553 @MD5SUM@ libtool-@VERSION@.tar.bz2
554 @MD5SUM@ libtool-@PREV_RELEASE_VERSION_ON_THIS_BRANCH@-@VERSION@.diff.gz
555 @MD5SUM@ libtool-@PREV_RELEASE_VERSION_ON_THIS_BRANCH@-@VERSION@.xdelta
556 @SHA1SUM@ libtool-@VERSION@.tar.gz
557 @SHA1SUM@ libtool-@VERSION@.tar.bz2
558 @SHA1SUM@ libtool-@PREV_RELEASE_VERSION_ON_THIS_BRANCH@-@VERSION@.diff.gz
559 @SHA1SUM@ libtool-@PREV_RELEASE_VERSION_ON_THIS_BRANCH@-@VERSION@.xdelta
561 This release was bootstrapped with @BOOTSTRAP_TOOLS_WITH_VERSIONS@,
562 but is useable with @COMPATIBLE_AUTOTOOL_VERSIONS@ in your own
565 Alternatively, you can fetch the unbootstrapped sourcecode from
566 anonymous cvs by using the following commands (just hit return when
567 you are prompted for the password):
570 $ cvs -z3 -d :ext:anoncvs@savannah.gnu.org:/cvsroot/libtool \
571 co -r @CVS_RELEASE_TAG@ libtool
573 You will then need to have the latest release versions of Automake
574 (@AUTOMAKE_VERSION@) and Autoconf (@AUTOCONF_VERSION@) installed to
575 bootstrap the checked out sources yourself.
577 Please report bugs to <bug-libtool@gnu.org>, along with the verbose
578 output of any failed test groups, and the output from `./libtool --help.'
582 Copyright (C) 2004, 2005 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
584 The canonical source of this file is maintained with the
585 GNU Libtool package. Report bugs to bug-libtool@gnu.org.
587 GNU Libtool is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
588 modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as
589 published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2
590 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
592 As a special exception to the GNU General Public License,
593 if you distribute this file as part of a program or library that
594 is built using GNU libtool, you may include it under the same
595 distribution terms that you use for the rest of that program.
597 GNU Libtool is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
598 but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
599 MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU
600 General Public License for more details.
602 You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
603 along with GNU Libtool; if not, write to the Free Software
604 Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA