[petsc-dev] --download-dependencies flag?

[Matthew Knepley]

On Wed, Mar 21, 2012 at 5:46 AM, Aron Ahmadia <aron.ahmadia at kaust.edu.sa>wrote:

> In order to get a user up-and-running with a MUMPs-enabled PETSc, I
> followed this frustrating chain:
>
> configure --download-mumps=1
>
> ...
>
> Error, no parmetis!
>
> configure --download-mumps=1 --download-parmetis=1
>
> Error, no scalapack!
>
> configure --download-mumps=1 --download-parmetis=1 --download-scalapack=1
>
> It would be convenient if the PETSc BuildSystem did what other package
> installers like pip, yum, etc..., do, and grab dependencies that I need
> based on what I have requested.
>

I don't like this at all. It works in yum because there is only one way to
get the package. In PETSc, there are at least
3 since you can built it yourself, use the system version, or have it
downloaded.

Additionally, it would make it a lot easier to build PETSc on complicated
> systems if BuildSystem did a quick dependency/flag check instead off the
> way it works now (sequential intermixing of really slow and fast configure
> options).
>

Yes, I agree it should alert people early that dependent packages are not
turned on.

    Matt


> A
>
-- 
What most experimenters take for granted before they begin their
experiments is infinitely more interesting than any results to which their
experiments lead.
-- Norbert Wiener
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