libtool: Static-only libraries

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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:
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1    * compilation is twice as fast, which can speed up your development
1      cycle,
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1    * debugging is easier because you don't need to deal with any
1      complexities added by shared libraries, and
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1    * you can see how libtool behaves on static-only platforms.
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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':
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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