DEBUG in ntpsec

[Gary E. Miller]

Yo Hal!

On Fri, 14 Apr 2017 03:27:19 -0700
Hal Murray <hmurray at megapathdsl.net> wrote:

> The default was --enable-debug.  A while ago, that was changed to 
> --disable-debug.

And then changed back to --enable-debug

Right now --enable-debug enables only things that developers need
or want.  It enables things that are scary to distributions, 
packagers and end users, but essential to developers.

They will all run from anything that says "debug'.
 
> I think we should reconsider that and/or this whole area.

We have reconsidered this a lot lately.  You email only asks
questions, do you have any suggestions?

> There are several things all lumped together under --enable-debug
> and/or --enable-debug-gdb

Actually, those two are completely separate.  All --enable-debug-gdb
does is add -g to CFLAGS and not strip the binary.

> One is a bunch of optional compiler checking options - the stuff Gary
> is working on now.

Yup, and almost all gone now.

Only 50 more warnings to go, starting out at over 1,000 on the
last batch.

> Another is not stripping symbols and whatever is needed for using gdb.

See above.  If you want gdb, just use --enable-debug-gdb

> Another is a bunch of run time sanity checks - things like crash if
> foo is NULL.

Yeah, I have not touched those, they are a mystery to me.  Those
at lesst need some documentation.

> Another is a bunch of optional printing.  This is useful for chasing
> obscure bugs.  You can run ntpd from the command line with -n and -d
> or -D and you get lots of printout.  This allows getting more info to
> chase some problems without rebuilding ntpd.

ntpd already has a ton of that. What would you change?

> We should probably measure the size difference and/or run time
> differences. The latter will take something like a busy pool server.

I doubt time/size has much to do with it.  It is a philosophical 
difference.  Classic minimalist versus maximalist argument that
can never be settled.

RGDS
GARY
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gary E. Miller Rellim 109 NW Wilmington Ave., Suite E, Bend, OR 97703
	gem at rellim.com  Tel:+1 541 382 8588

	    Veritas liberabit vos. -- Quid est veritas?
    "If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it." - Lord Kelvin
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