Hello Benoit, * Benoit Sigoure wrote on Fri, Mar 30, 2007 at 10:30:43PM CEST: > > I've searched in the manual but the following behavior is not documented: [...] > # Built sources are automatically removed by maintainer-clean. > $clean_files{'$(BUILT_SOURCES)'} = MAINTAINER_CLEAN > if var ('BUILT_SOURCES'); > ... > > I see many, many people who manually list their BUILT_SOURCES in CLEANFILES or > MAINTAINERCLEANFILES. Actually even the manual shows an example in which > BUILT_SOURCES are listed in CLEANFILES.
Side note: the example isn't completely redundant: upgrading a file from being cleaned by `maintainer-clean' to `clean' may be a useful thing. Of course that doesn't refute your general point. > Since this behavior isn't documented, can we considere that it's simply an > omission and rely on it, or has it been done on purpose for some reason? Frankly, I don't know. I see two sides of it here: First, the automatic adding to maintainer-clean is consistent with the notion of what the several `*clean' targets should do (see @node{Clean}). Second, can there be a useful setup in which it is harmful if `maintainer-clean' removes the file? If no, then a patch to document the existing behavior (manual + NEWS file) would be best. ;-) Cheers, Ralf