I noticed that when installing postgres the following directory is
formed:  ~pgsql/include/port/bsd (presumably the bsd changes with the
port upon which it's compiled).  This is created as part of the
following target in src/interfaces/libpq:

     beforeinstall-headers:
	     @if [ ! -d $(HEADERDIR) ]; then mkdir $(HEADERDIR); fi
	     @if [ ! -d $(HEADERDIR)/port ]; then mkdir $(HEADERDIR)/port; fi
	     @if [ ! -d $(HEADERDIR)/port/$(PORTNAME) ]; \
		     then mkdir $(HEADERDIR)/port/$(PORTNAME); fi

However, nothing ever seems to be put into this directory and as far
as I can tell these are the only Makefile lines that reference this
directory in any way.

What is the point if creating it in the first place?  Should stuff be
put in there or should the directory disappear?

Cheers,
Brook

Tue, 10 Nov 1998 08:34:52 -0700 (MST)
Brook Milligan <brook@trillium.NMSU.Edu>
include/port directory?
Brook Milligan <brook@trillium.NMSU.Edu> writes:
> 	     @if [ ! -d $(HEADERDIR)/port/$(PORTNAME) ]; \
> 		     then mkdir $(HEADERDIR)/port/$(PORTNAME); fi

> However, nothing ever seems to be put into this directory and as far
> as I can tell these are the only Makefile lines that reference this
> directory in any way.

Some of the ports put stuff into that directory, some don't.
(HPUX does, as you would've noticed if you looked about seven lines
above this line.)

> What is the point if creating it in the first place?  Should stuff be
> put in there or should the directory disappear?

I'd say leave it alone.  Even if we don't have a lot of use for it
at the moment, what's it hurt?

			regards, tom lane

Tue, 10 Nov 1998 11:47:43 -0500
Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us>
Re: [HACKERS] include/port directory? 
   > 	     @if [ ! -d $(HEADERDIR)/port/$(PORTNAME) ]; \
   > 		     then mkdir $(HEADERDIR)/port/$(PORTNAME); fi

   Some of the ports put stuff into that directory, some don't.
   (HPUX does, as you would've noticed if you looked about seven lines
   above this line.)

Oops.  I missed that.

   > What is the point if creating it in the first place?  Should stuff be
   > put in there or should the directory disappear?

   I'd say leave it alone.  Even if we don't have a lot of use for it
   at the moment, what's it hurt?

It doesn't really hurt anything, except for two things.  It causes a
bit of confusion and it presents a small problem when trying to
construct postgresql packages that contain the entire distribution
(empty directories need special casing and when figuring out if that
special casing is necessary the confusion arises; or at least it did
for me when I was doing exactly that).  May I suggest the following
patch that makes it clear exactly what is going on (when one looks at
the installed code) and makes construction of packages
straightforward.

Cheers,
Brook

===========================================================================
--- interfaces/libpq/Makefile.in.orig	Sun Oct 18 18:00:43 1998
+++ interfaces/libpq/Makefile.in	Tue Nov 10 11:18:17 1998
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@
           $(HEADERDIR)/commands/trigger.h
 	$(INSTALL) $(INSTLOPTS) libpq-fe.h $(HEADERDIR)/libpq-fe.h
 	$(INSTALL) $(INSTLOPTS) libpq-int.h $(HEADERDIR)/libpq-int.h
+	$(INSTALL) $(INSTLOPTS) .keep_me $(HEADERDIR)/port/$(PORTNAME)/.keep_me
 ifeq ($(PORTNAME), hpux)
 	$(INSTALL) $(INSTLOPTS) $(SRCDIR)/backend/port/hpux/fixade.h \
           $(HEADERDIR)/port/hpux/fixade.h
===========================================================================
--- interfaces/libpq/.keep_me.orig	Tue Nov 10 11:20:28 1998
+++ interfaces/libpq/.keep_me	Tue Nov 10 11:20:14 1998
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+This normally empty directory needs to be kept in the distribution for
+port-specific header files.

Tue, 10 Nov 1998 12:04:46 -0700 (MST)
Brook Milligan <brook@trillium.NMSU.Edu>
Re: [HACKERS] include/port directory?
Brook Milligan <brook@trillium.NMSU.Edu> writes:
> (empty directories need special casing

Why?  And what makes you think there will never be any other empty
subdirectories?  This ".keep_me" looks like a much uglier hack than
fixing whatever it is that can't deal with empty directories.

			regards, tom lane

Tue, 10 Nov 1998 16:13:05 -0500
Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us>
Re: [HACKERS] include/port directory? 