libtool: Static-only libraries
1
1 5.6 Static-only libraries
1 =========================
1
1 When you are developing a package, it is often worthwhile to configure
1 your package with the '--disable-shared' flag, or to override the
11 defaults for 'LT_INIT' by using the 'disable-shared' option (⇒The
'LT_INIT' macro LT_INIT.). This prevents libtool from building shared
1 libraries, which has several advantages:
1
1 * compilation is twice as fast, which can speed up your development
1 cycle,
1
1 * debugging is easier because you don't need to deal with any
1 complexities added by shared libraries, and
1
1 * you can see how libtool behaves on static-only platforms.
1
1 You may want to put a small note in your package 'README' to let
1 other developers know that '--disable-shared' can save them time. The
1 following example note is taken from the GIMP(1) distribution 'README':
1
1 The GIMP uses GNU Libtool to build shared libraries on a
1 variety of systems. While this is very nice for making usable
1 binaries, it can be a pain when trying to debug a program. For that
1 reason, compilation of shared libraries can be turned off by
1 specifying the --disable-shared option to configure.
1
1 ---------- Footnotes ----------
1
1 (1) GNU Image Manipulation Program, for those who haven't taken the
1 plunge. See <http://www.gimp.org/>.
1