GNU bug report logs - #7657
TEXINFOS primary accepts too many prefixes

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From: Ralf Wildenhues <Ralf.Wildenhues <at> gmx.de>
To: Stefano Lattarini <stefano.lattarini <at> gmail.com>
Cc: 7657 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: bug#7657: TEXINFOS primary accepts too many prefixes.
Date: Fri, 17 Dec 2010 06:49:50 +0100

* Stefano Lattarini wrote on Thu, Dec 16, 2010 at 10:52:10PM CET:
> Currently, the TEXINFOS primary accept *all* the standard automake
> builtin prefix dirs (from `lib' and `bin' to `pkglibexec' and
> `sysconf').
> 
> IMHO it should accept only the `info' prefix (maybe also `doc'? but
> I'd rather say no).

Let's turn the question around: why cripple the developer unnecessarily?

The mind set is that: the user of a package is smarter than the
developer (that's why the former should be able to override the
configure settings etc), and the developer is smarter than the
Automake developer: the latter cannot know all possible ways in
which things may be put together.

The current target directory limitations result mostly from
technical limitations.

For example, I can easily imagine a package having normal texinfo
manuals, but also a developer's manual that maybe should end up
in an internal directory elsewhere (or only its PDF?).  We aim to
not just support strict GNU style packages.

Cheers,
Ralf

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