Why do you use autotools

[aria2]

Why do you use autotools

[navidR]

I think this has got to be reopened. With the recent push from Google (NDK compilation with CMake Toolchain file they provide with NDK is easy as using your default toolchain, their integration of CMake to gradle, etc), Microsoft (Integrating CMake to VS, providing CMake based package management solution for C++) and other big companies to CMake. CMake has become de facto build system for most projects and companies. Despite its bad syntax, CMake gets the job done. The fact QtCreator, VisualStudio, Clion (and none of them do support Autotools at all) are trying to become better CMake based library shows how much attention it got in the recent year.

I am not going to talk about the hardness of Autotool usage because there is no point. We all know how tedious it is to use autotools, especially for newcomers.

Whether we like it or not, Autotools is going to die. And I am happy about it. It was very useful and advanced tool for its time. But now CMake is the build system which industry settles in.

[xpol]

Agree
And I'm managed to build with cmake on macOS. But other system are not tested.
I will test on Windows later. if it works, I'll try to make a PR.

If any interested please see: https://github.com/xpol/aria2/tree/cmake .

[tatsuhiro-t]

I used cmake for other forked project and it feels good.
The reason I use autotools is when I started the project I just used to autotools and not considered other options.
Now we don't have any big issues with autotools. Cmake or other tools can make configuration simpler but I think the cost to move to the new tools does not greater value than the effort.

[YenForYang]

Agree 100% with @navidR.

It is time.

[Ricardo-Evans]

I'm working on the cross compiling of aria2, and I'd like to say that using autotools with android ndk is just like a shit, hoping move to cmake as quick as possible.

[Cardinalinux]

Agree
And I'm managed to build with cmake on macOS. But other system are not tested.
I will test on Windows later. if it works, I'll try to make a PR.

If any interested please see: https://github.com/xpol/aria2/tree/cmake .

Your cmake solution is awesome, it works well on macOS, thanks.

[KOLANICH]

@tatsuhiro-t