Re: [PATCH] Build libgcj, libgcj-tools, and libffi as shared libraries on Windows

[Paolo Bonzini <bonzini at gnu dot org>]

> I noticed another thread where Peter O'Gorman was proposing to update
> libtool in gcc to latest libtool-git-tip (e.g. now that libtool-2.0 ne'
> libtool-2.2 is out). Perhaps the update to more recent ltdl would be an
> appropriate addendum/followup to his patch.

Unfortunately, I think it is very hard to squeeze a ltdl update in the
deadline for stage1.  Maybe the release managers could defer to the
libjava maintainers.

> Right. If I am correct above, this was probably the rationale for why it
> didn't happen as part of the Great Autotool Update: too messy to deal
> with all at once.  But now...maybe it's time. But I agree -- that is a
> big effort, and shouldn't be part of your patch here.
> 
>> There may also be
>> other reasons we're still using this old version of libltdl.
> 
> I doubt it. Probably just inertia.

Yes, nobody really cared because:

1) it was not much of a maintainance pain, unlike libtool -- remember
that there were some things to be invented (such as exec-tool.in) to
update libtool;

2) nobody knows how easier a libltdl update would be (I'd say somewhat
easier, but only because it only touches libjava).

3) a different set of maintainers was involved (build vs. libjava)

4) nobody really checked what features a newer libltdl has (in either
group of maintainers).

Paolo