[dsdp-tcf-dev] TCF C agent build system

[Alexis Hallé <alexis.halle@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi,

I am working for École Polytechnique de Montréal. We use the TCF
reference agent as a basis for our remote tracing system, lttng-agent,
which is implemented as a plugin for the agent. We are trying to
streamline our own build process, which currently depends on the
actual source code of the TCF agent. We are trying to get rid of this
dependency but it is currently impossible, as the headers required for
plugin development are not installed as part of make install. This
looks like a bug to me. If the agent exposes an interface to plugins,
shouldn't it install the relevant headers? I can open a bug report
about that, but I would also like to open a more general discussion on
the TCF agent build system.

The current build system allows (partial) installation but not
uninstallation. It uses uncommon make variables to specify install
location. The plugins path is hardcoded at compile time. The point I
am trying to make is that the current system mostly works, but the
process is not what linux users expect, and in our opinion it's
hurting usability. I am not saying it's bad, just that it could be
better.

We think an autotools-based build system would solve these problems
and provide a solid base for the future. We believe that using a
somewhat "standard" build system would make the installation process
easier for users. Services could be enabled or disabled via the
--enable-xxx or --disable-xxx switches of the configure script. The
plugins subsystem could be enabled or disabled in the same way. It
would manage the build options for the different target operating
systems and most importantly allow easy installation, uninstallation,
release or packaging of files in a way that is consistent with other
major open-source projects. I think consistency is the keyword here,
and autotools is a tried and tested solution.

I'd like to hear your opinion on this matter. As the TCF agent is an
important piece of our own puzzle, we would be willing to help with
the conversion of the build system, if you think it is a good idea.

-- 
Alexis Hallé
Software Engineering student
Intern, Tracing & Monitoring Project
École Polytechnique de Montréal