2009/7/19 Ralf Corsepius <rc040203(a)freenet.de>:
- Using INSTALL="install -p" basically is eye-candy,
assuring timestamps on
"non-generated installed files" match with those inside of the sources. On
generated files (generated scripts, headers, compiled binaries/libraries
...) it doesn't have any impact.
All "install -p" does in such situations is using different timestamps than
when not using "install -p"
I don't have an opinion on whether INSTALL="install -p" should be
universal, but to give a concrete example of when it is needed:
When building emacs add ons, it's necessary to install the byte
compiled (*.elc) files with -p so that when both the uncompiled
(*.el)and byte compiled files are installed emacs will read the byte
compiled sources - emacs looks at the timestamps of both the el and
elc and loads the elc if it's mtime is later than the .el. Not using
-p often results in emacs disregarding the elc file if the el source
file is installed, negating the usefulness of byte compilation.