Re: configure options for loadable Squid modules

Hello,

        I think we can narrow down the number of options to one, given Henrik
suggestion to stick with Libtool's ltdl for loadable module support and
do not try to support native OS mechanisms. I will explain my reasoning
and then suggest the name for that option. (Again, we are talking only
about third-party loadable modules to implement extensions or plugins
such as eCAP adapters!)

Ltdl is designed so that preloaded modules are handled the same way as
dynamically loaded ones. A straightforward program cannot distinguish a
preloaded module from a dynamically loaded one: To activate a module,
the program has to go through the same steps (call the same functions
with the same parameters) in both cases.

There are probably tricks to detect preloaded modules and distinguish
them from dynamically loaded ones, but I do not see enough reasons to
use those tricks, at least not in Squid 3.1.

If there are no objections, we will treat both preloaded and dynamically
loaded modules the same.

With always-use-ltdl and treat-preloaded-modules-as-dynamic decisions,
we only need one ./configure option to disable all loadable module
support. Here are possible names:

  --disable-module-loading
  --disable-modules
  --disable-loadable-modules

  --disable-extensions
  --disable-loadable-extensions
  --disable-extension-modules

  --disable-plugins

I will go with --disable-modules for now. If you want a different name,
please post. The name is easy to change at this point.

Thank you,

Alex.
Received on Sat Oct 13 2007 - 22:01:29 MDT