Reset xxx_convert to empty string if none of 3 utilities is found

[metaconfig.git] / README

diff --git a/README b/README
index 63914a4..660a907 100644 (file)
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -35,8 +35,6 @@ Contents of this directory:
 
     README:    This file.
     U:         Metaconfig units used for building Perl's Configure
-    U.check:   Sample directory used for testing new metaconfig units.
-               see U.check/README for more information.
     dist-git:
                a git clone of "dist". Optionally present. See (a) below.
                This is where dist/meta resides as of 2016-04-01
@@ -45,9 +43,15 @@ Contents of this directory:
                These may differ from dist-git, as upstream also moves
                on and develops.
 
-(a) You need to have dist installed so that you have metalint and metaconfig
-    in your $PATH. As dist/meta binaries are now included in the git checkout,
-    you do NOT need to install dist/meta itself.
+Development workflow:
+
+(a) In order to assemble Configure from its units, you need mlint/metaline and
+    mconfig/metaconfig from the "dist" package installed and available in your
+    $PATH. You can either use the version that comes with your OS (Debian ships
+    it) or the versions that are included in this checkout: just add the full
+    name of this folder/bin to your $PATH. If you are not planning to analyse
+    differences of the current state with upstream dist, you can skip the rest
+    op step (a) now.
 
     If you also want to play with or compare to the original meta/dist, you
     can checkout that too.
@@ -140,7 +144,7 @@ Contents of this directory:
     string HAS_STRTOLD_L at the end of the comment.  This can be removed once
     the code base has actual uses of the unit.
 
-(f) mconfig -m -O   # regenerate Configure and config_h.SH
+(f) "mconfig -m -O" to regenerate Configure and config_h.SH
 
     Make *sure* your mconfig is the correct one in your $PATH, as the mono-web
     package will install /usr/bin/mconfig which will do something completely
@@ -214,12 +218,11 @@ Contents of this directory:
     $ make -j12
     $ env TEST_JOBS=13 make test_harness
 
-    Before you start committing, make sure that the other developers
-    are happy and run
+    Before you start committing, make sure that
 
     $ make test_porting
 
-    again
+    still passes
 
 (k) Optionally, run Porting/mksample to freshen the Porting/config*.
     Adjust the various compile-time options (e.g. 64bit, threads) as
@@ -251,6 +254,19 @@ Contents of this directory:
 (n) When all patches are applied, tested and committed, and you are happy,
     git push
 
-(o) Documentation on 'dist' may be found at these locations:
-    https://github.com/rmanfredi/dist/blob/master/mcon/man/mconfig.SH
-    https://manpages.debian.org/stretch/dist/metaconfig.1.en.html
+References:
+
+Documentation on 'dist' may be found at these locations:
+https://github.com/rmanfredi/dist/blob/master/mcon/man/mconfig.SH
+https://manpages.debian.org/stretch/dist/metaconfig.1.en.html
+
+Git tags:
+
+Tags are maintained in this git repository mapping the version of the
+units that were used for the Configure in a given release of perl,
+named simply after the version of perl in question (for example, at
+the time of writing the current stable release is 5.26.1). This provides
+a stable reference for downstreams wishing to import the metaconfig units
+into their own packaging. Therefore, at minimum tags for each stable
+release should be made (adding tags for development releases being an
+optional extra).