[Python-Dev] Setup.local is getting zapped

[Paul Hughett]

Neil Schemenauer says:

> Here is the story now:

>     clean
>         all object files and compilied .py files

>     clobber
>         everything clean does plus executables, libraries, and
>         tag files

>     distclean: 
>         everything clobber does plus makefiles, generated .c
>         files, configure files, Setup files, and lots of other
>         crud that make did not actually generate (core, *~,
>         *.orig, etc).

I usually use two or three targets, as follows:

  clean
       Delete all the objects, executables, libraries, tag files, etc
       that are normally generated by make all.  Don't touch the Makefile,
       etc. that are generated by ./configure.  This is more or less
       Neil's clean and clobber taken together; I've never had much need
       to delete object files but not executables.

   distclean
       Delete all the files that didn't come with the distribution tarball;
       that is, all the files that make clean removes, plus the Makefile,
       config.cache, etc.  However, try not to clobber random files and
       notes made by the user and not closely related to the package.

   realclean
       Delete all the files that could be regenerated from other files,
       even if they're normally included in the distribution tarball; e.g
       configure, the PDF file containing the installation instructions, etc.
       This target is unnecessary in many packages.

I'm not going to try to argue that this is the only Right Way(tm), but it
has worked well for me, and gives a reasonably clear criterion for deciding
which file should get deleted at each level.

Paul Hughett