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Re: bootstrap/5634: ../configure --prefix=~/... doesn't work


On Tue, Feb 18, 2003 at 04:12:02AM -0000, bje@gcc.gnu.org wrote:
>     This is due to an inconsistent interaction with your shell, viz:
>     
>       $ echo prefix=~/install
>       prefix=/home/bje/install
>       $ echo --prefix=~/install
>       --prefix=~/install
>     
>     Note that the ~ is expanded correctly in the first, but not the second.
> It is unreasonable to expect all underlying GCC configury to handle ~
> as a special case.  At the very least, this should be documented in the
> installation documentation--do you agree?

FYI, bash understands ~ as the first character in sub-words, such as this.
But csh and tcsh only understand ~ as the first character in a main word,
i.e., after whitespace.

This isn't specific to us, so I wouldn't bother documenting it.  Anybody who
uses a csh-family shell is going to run into these weird features eventually.
If you do feel like documenting it, I suggest providing a link to a
"here's an introduction to csh" page somewhere.


Phil

-- 
I would therefore like to posit that computing's central challenge, viz. "How
not to make a mess of it," has /not/ been met.
                                                 - Edsger Dijkstra, 1930-2002


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