On Sat, 20 Nov 2010 14:17:14 -0600 (CST) Bob Friesenhahn <bfrie...@simple.dallas.tx.us> wrote: > The vast majority of Linux users install from binary packages, or via > source-based install systems which assure that appropriate build > options are applied. Very few build by hand and install under > /usr/local.
True, but while I do not track binary downloads from debian, I do track source downloads from my site. Also, I get some feedback from users. Because versions of the project are currently in debian "unstable" and "testing" repos (which are necessary before it can be qualified "stable"), I am positive that *most* of my users are people who download and build from the source. Basically, I don't think source users should count as "second class citizens" here. > Those that do are likely to read the standard INSTALL > file and therefore know what to do. Maybe so, and maybe not. But regardless: it makes more sense to have the default *appropriate for general use*, rather for a distro packager (who's work I do appreciate!). Otherwise, I have to put a note in the INSTALL: "To accommodate the constraints of distro package systems, you will have to use a configure option or strip your binaries if you do not want debugging symbols slowing you down". I know that historically, that has been the practice, and I am arguing against the grain. > Since you found that gvim loads much quicker after it has been > stripped, I must assume that you are using the Plan 9 OS rather than > Linux. No, linux. I build vim because I have yet to see a distro package that is configured the way I want it (and no, the "vim-everything" packages do not actually contain everything). Generally I just use apt or yum, but for some particular things like this (or for projects such as my own, which are not available as binaries for every distro), I source build. Also, if you are using a small or offbeat linux distribution, there's surely a lot of software that simply is not available for it in binary, but that can easily be built from source. MK -- "The angel of history[...]is turned toward the past." (Walter Benjamin)