Re: [PATCH] INSTALL: clarify that libserf is auto-detected by pkg-config

"Pavel Lyalyakin via dev" <[email protected]> Tue, 4 Aug 2026 19:37:00 +0300
Newsgroups gmane.comp.version-control.subversion.devel
Message-ID <CAEyhmwY2JA4=iH1cdt15p-tEjrwG9UHi2UtWzYJxxwoXbuOgkw@mail.gmail.com>
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Hello,

On Tue, 4 Aug 2026 at 10:45, Daniel Sahlberg <[email protected]>
wrote:

> Den m=C3=A5n 3 aug. 2026 kl 19:02 skrev Pavel Lyalyakin via dev <
> [email protected]>:
>
>> Hello,
>>
>> INSTALL says that I have to explicitly specify --with-serf when running
>> ./configure to enable ra_serf. This doesn't seem to be the case because
>> pkg-config is used to automatically detect whether libserf is installed =
on
>> the system.
>>
>> (I think that the current wording is from the ra_neon era, when
>> --with-serf selected ra_serf instead of ra_neon).
>>
>
> I see that the existing text use the word "place" but for all other uses
> (except for BDB) we use the word "location" so I would take the opportuni=
ty
> to change it here.
>
> I would suggest to add something about "if you don't have pkg-config
> installed" (as you already discovered in an earlier mail onlist[1] ). I d=
o
> see that we mention pkg-config elsewhere and I assume the same issue occu=
r
> for all dependencies if you don't have pkg-config installed so maybe that
> is something that could go into section I.C.14?
>

That pkg-config part can be improved by changing the document's layout and
by explicitly stating that pkg-config is used for automatic detection of
some of SVN's dependencies (with a list of said dependencies). Adding a
note about pkg-config to each dependency's section is somewhat bulky and
just duplicates info that can be stated once is a single place (like a
hypothetical section 'Build system dependencies', separate from the other
dependencies).

The thing is that the INSTALL document needs a major rework (I think that
everyone can agree with this). Right now I'm going through the document and
attempting to fix the most obvious issues where a small fix would be a real
improvement over the current version. The pkg-config issue is more of a
structural one, IMHO, so I'm putting it off until the smaller issues are
fixed. I hope I should be able to suggest a better INSTALL layout a bit
later, which by itself might resolve many of the issues with the document.


> If you want to add the pkg-config related note under the Serf headline,
> maybe something like:
>
> "If you don't use pkg-config and serf is installed in a non-standard
> location, you should use"
>

Yep, this reads better, but I changed "..., you should use" to "..., then
use:" for consistency.


> Whichever way you choose, you have my +1 to edit INSTALL as you see fit,
> either this patch or a variation thereof.
>

An updated variant committed in r1936877.

Thanks for the review!


> Thanks,
> Daniel
>
>
> [1] https://lists.apache.org/thread/7f51kjmlxqls7nql8q5v0l22f0m5c372
>
>
>>
>> Log message:
>>
>> * INSTALL
>>   (I.C.7): clarify that libserf is automatically detected by pkg-config
>>
>> Patch by: Pavel Lyalyakin <[email protected]>
>>
>> --
>> With best regards,
>> Pavel Lyalyakin
>> VisualSVN Team
>>
>

--=20
With best regards,
Pavel Lyalyakin
VisualSVN Team

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<div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div di=
r=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr">Hello,</div><br><div class=3D"g=
mail_quote"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Tue, 4 Aug 2026 at 10:=
45, Daniel Sahlberg &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]" targ=
et=3D"_blank">[email protected]</a>&gt; wrote:<br></div><blockquo=
te class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px =
solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr">=
<div dir=3D"ltr"><span style=3D"background-color:transparent">Den m=C3=A5n =
3 aug. 2026 kl 19:02 skrev Pavel Lyalyakin via dev &lt;</span><a href=3D"ma=
ilto:[email protected]" style=3D"background-color:transparent" targ=
et=3D"_blank">[email protected]</a><span style=3D"background-color:=
transparent">&gt;:</span></div><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><blockquote class=
=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rg=
b(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=
=3D"ltr"><div>Hello,</div><div><br></div><div>INSTALL says that I have to e=
xplicitly specify --with-serf when running ./configure to enable ra_serf. T=
his doesn&#39;t seem to be the case because pkg-config is used to automatic=
ally detect whether libserf is installed on the system.</div><div><br></div=
><div>(I think that the current wording is from the ra_neon era, when --wit=
h-serf selected ra_serf instead of ra_neon).</div></div></div></div></block=
quote><div><br></div><div>I see that the existing text use the word &quot;p=
lace&quot; but for all other uses (except for BDB) we use the word &quot;lo=
cation&quot; so I would take the opportunity to change it here.</div><div><=
br></div><div>I would suggest to add something about &quot;if you don&#39;t=
 have pkg-config installed&quot; (as you already discovered in an earlier m=
ail onlist[1] ). I do see that we mention pkg-config elsewhere and I assume=
 the same issue occur for all dependencies if you don&#39;t have pkg-config=
 installed so maybe that is something that could go into section I.C.14?</d=
iv></div></div></div></blockquote><div><br></div><div>That pkg-config part =
can be improved by changing the document&#39;s layout and by explicitly sta=
ting that pkg-config is used for automatic detection of some of SVN&#39;s d=
ependencies (with a list of said dependencies). Adding a note about pkg-con=
fig to each dependency&#39;s section is somewhat bulky and just duplicates =
info that can be stated once is a single place (like a hypothetical section=
 &#39;Build system dependencies&#39;, separate from the other dependencies)=
.</div><div><br></div><div>
The thing is that the INSTALL document needs a major rework (I think that e=
veryone can agree with this). Right now I&#39;m going through the document =
and attempting to fix the most obvious issues where a small fix would be a =
real improvement over the current version. The pkg-config issue is more of =
a structural one, IMHO, so I&#39;m putting it off until the smaller issues =
are fixed. I hope I should be able to suggest a better INSTALL layout a bit=
 later, which by itself might resolve many of the issues with the document.=
</div><div>=C2=A0</div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0p=
x 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><d=
iv dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div>If you want=
 to add the pkg-config related note under the Serf headline, maybe somethin=
g like:</div><div><br></div><div>&quot;If you don&#39;t use pkg-config and =
serf is installed in a non-standard location, you should use&quot;</div></d=
iv></div></div></blockquote><div><br></div><div>Yep, this reads better, but=
 I changed &quot;..., you should use&quot; to &quot;..., then use:&quot; fo=
r consistency.</div><div>=C2=A0</div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" styl=
e=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);paddin=
g-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><d=
iv>Whichever way you choose, you have=C2=A0<span style=3D"background-color:=
transparent">my=C2=A0</span><span style=3D"background-color:transparent">+1=
 to edit INSTALL as you see fit, either this patch or a variation thereof.<=
/span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><div><br></div><div>An updated v=
ariant committed in=C2=A0r1936877.</div><div><br></div><div>Thanks for the =
review!</div><div>=C2=A0</div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"ma=
rgin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:=
1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div><spa=
n style=3D"background-color:transparent">Thanks,</span></div><div><span sty=
le=3D"background-color:transparent">Daniel</span></div><div><br></div><div>=
<br></div><div><span style=3D"background-color:transparent">[1]=C2=A0<a hre=
f=3D"https://lists.apache.org/thread/7f51kjmlxqls7nql8q5v0l22f0m5c372" targ=
et=3D"_blank">https://lists.apache.org/thread/7f51kjmlxqls7nql8q5v0l22f0m5c=
372</a></span></div><div>=C2=A0</div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" styl=
e=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);paddin=
g-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div><br></d=
iv><div>Log message:</div><div><br></div><div>
<div>* INSTALL</div><div>=C2=A0 (I.C.7): clarify that libserf is automatica=
lly detected by pkg-config</div><div><br></div><div>Patch by: Pavel Lyalyak=
in &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]" target=3D"_blank">lyalyakin@=
apache.org</a>&gt;</div>

<br></div><span class=3D"gmail_signature_prefix">-- </span><br><div dir=3D"=
ltr" class=3D"gmail_signature"><font color=3D"#888888">With best regards,<b=
r>
Pavel Lyalyakin<br>
VisualSVN Team</font></div></div>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote></div>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote></div><div><br clear=3D"all"></div><br><span class=3D"gmail_si=
gnature_prefix">-- </span><br><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_signature"><f=
ont color=3D"#888888">With best regards,<br>
Pavel Lyalyakin<br>
VisualSVN Team</font></div></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>

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