307521 - Firefox (and Thunderbird) should default to static (as close to released configuration as practical)

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(Firefox Build System :: General, defect, P2)

Description

[Benjamin Smedberg]

The default build of firefox (if you provide no overriding flags) should default
to as close to our official releases as practical (not official branding, but
all the config flags). The major thing that's left is making --enable-static
(--disable-shared) the default. If somebody builds with --enable-debug this
should automatically switch to a nonstatic build.

Comment 1

[Benjamin Smedberg]

Attachment: Default to static build (off for debug builds), rev. 1

Comment 2

[cls]

Comment on attachment 195288 [details] [diff] [review]
Default to static build (off for debug builds), rev. 1

The --enable-shared & --enable-static targets need to be updated to handle this
change in defaults.  Maybe we can finally get rid of one of them since we can't
enable (or disable) both at once.

I really don't like the --enable-debug change.	You're basically making
--enable-debug into a meta option that triggers several other options.	I think
having different defaults for each product will be confusing enough.  We
shouldn't trigger unrelated features when we do --enable-debug as well.

Comment 3

[Benjamin Smedberg]

Attachment: Default to static build (off for debug builds), rev. 2

I *do* think that --enable-debug should behave in a meta-config pattern in this
case. It is painful to do a static debug build, and really only necessary when
debugging the installer. Besides, my goal is to break as few developer's
existing mozconfig files as possible.

This patch removes the extraneous --disable|enable-shared option, and also
removes the MOZ_STATIC_COMPONENT_LIBS variable which was a synonym for
BUILD_STATIC_LIBS.

Comment 4

[cls]

Comment on attachment 195310 [details] [diff] [review]
Default to static build (off for debug builds), rev. 2

You're changing the configure defaults so *everyone's* configurations will be
potentially affected.  I don't see this inconsistent change as making life
universally better for developers.  If they don't want to be affected by these
changing defaults, then they can just add the specific configuration that they
want to use to their mozconfig rather than relying upon the defaults.  I'm not
signing off on that change; have someone else do it.

Comment 5

[David Baron :dbaron: (⌚️UTC-4, no longer working on Mozilla)]

Comment on attachment 195310 [details] [diff] [review]
Default to static build (off for debug builds), rev. 2

Getting rid of one of --enable-static and --disable-shared is great, but I
agree with cls that the defaults shouldn't have complicated influences on each
other.

Comment 6

[Benjamin Smedberg]

Attachment: Get rid of --disable-shared, without changing any defaults, rev. 1 [checked in (trunk only)]

ok, this patch does not change any default settings, it merely removes the
--disable-shared configure option and cleans up the makefile usage. Changing
the defaults and figuring out a way to avoid screwing over developers can be
done as a secondary step.

Comment 7

[cls]

Comment on attachment 199441 [details] [diff] [review]
Get rid of --disable-shared, without changing any defaults, rev. 1 [checked in (trunk only)]

There are still a handful of BUILD_SHARED_LIBS references floating about after
this patch is applied.	Also, I'm not sure why you removed @ from the
realchrome target.

Comment 8

[Benjamin Smedberg]

Mostly this got checked in, and --enable-libxul is now the default and release configuration.