Subject: Re: [PATCH 0/8] compat/zlib: allow use of zlib-ng as backend

From: Patrick Steinhardt <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 2025 09:42:23 +0100

On Fri, Jan 10, 2025 at 10:50:14AM -0500, Taylor Blau wrote:
> On Fri, Jan 10, 2025 at 01:55:27PM +0100, Patrick Steinhardt wrote:
> > This patch series refactors how we wire up zlib in our project by
> > introducing a new "compat/zlib.h" header function. This header is then
> > later extended to patch over the differences between zlib and zlib-ng,
> > which is mostly just that zlib-ng has a `zng_` prefix for each of its
> > symbols. Like this, we can support both libraries directly, and a new
> > Meson build options allows users to pick whichever backend they like.
> 
> I'm very excited about the possibility of supporting zlib-ng. You
> mention that there are new Meson build options here, but I don't see any
> changes to the Makefile.
> 
> Can we build Git against zlib-ng out of the box with the Makefile? If
> so, that is great, and we should document how to build it with zlib
> versus zlib-ng when using the Makefile. If not, I am somewhat
> uncomfortable about exposing new build options and the features that
> they enable behind the new build system.

No, it doesn't work out of the box.

> I think that we should continue to evolve the two more or less in
> lockstep if/until we are ready to deprecate the Makefile.

Yeah, you're probably right. I was a bit annoyed when trying to figure
out how to name and document things in the Makefile, but that's not
really a good reason to punt on it. Doubly so because it's ultimately
quite easy to wire up.

Patrick