Hi All,
A while ago I added checks in configure.ac to ensure that deprecated library symbols don't get used. However, this approach is probably *too strict* to be included in a stable release... for example, it will cause build-failures that are not "our fault" when the following conditions occur:
* inkscape depends on library-A and library-B * inkscape disables deprecated symbols from library-B * library-A depends on deprecated symbols in library-B.
This situation is currently causing build failures on Ubuntu Raring because it provides Glibmm 2.34.1, which depends on newly-deprecated symbols in glib 2.35.7.
So... we need to consider our approach. Options:
1. Unconditionally allow all deprecated symbols in all libraries. (i.e., remove all the checks I introduced in configure.ac). This would prevent breakage when new deprecations are introduced... but would potentially mean nightmarish migration tasks in the future (as with the GTK+ 3 migration)!
2. Keep the deprecation checks for all libraries: We'd then need to keep fire-fighting the build breakages in distros. Not a good idea in my opinion!
3. Keep the deprecation checks only for high-level libraries: i.e., Gtkmm depends on gtk+ and glib, so we can guard against using deprecated gtkmm stuff but not the others.
4. Add a configuration flag for developers' use (something like "--enable-strict-build") that introduces the deprecation checks. My preferred option... but would people actually use it?
5. Something else?
Any thoughts?
AV