Re: Open Source does not mean easily re-compile-able

gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) writes:

In article <wwvh66p9ntv.fsf@LkoBDZeT.terraraq.uk>,
Richard Kettlewell  <invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote:
...

On Debian-derived platforms, thats what apt-get build-dep is for.
Source package rebuild is also standardized.  It looks like the RH world
has something pretty similar.

>
I know all that - and, in theory, it should "just work".
>
But my experience is that theory and practice diverge.
>
Now, I may not be the most capable person in the world, probably not even
in the top 10 (or 100).  But that's exactly my point.  It's just not an
easy task for ordinary people under ordinary circumstances.

If I were not full of tasks right now, I would set up a VM with Debian
and try it out---build-dep for Thunderbird.  Just to see if compiles
successfully without much hacking involved.  I am also skeptical of such
things.  It usually works on smaller projects; I'd be surprised and
happy to find out that it works with no hacking involved.