🚀 go-pugleaf

I would like to know what GNU Make's built-in rules for RCS should look like.
I am interested in the opinions and experiences of people who use RCS and know
what they are talking about.  If you don't fall into this category, please
don't respond.

The issue is when to overwrite existing RCS working files.

The current rules (as of version 3.57) do:

	test -f $@ || $(CO) $(COFLAGS) $< $@

This will never overwrite an existing working file.

It has been suggested that this be changed to:

	test -w $@ || $(CO) $(COFLAGS) $< $@

This would overwrite working files that are read-only (i.e., not locked).

It has also been suggested that this be done, but that it also copy the
modification time of the RCS file to the working file.  Since there is no
utility universally available to copy modification times, I am disinclined to
try this.


Please tell me what you think the rule should be, and why.


Mail your responses to roland@ai.mit.edu.  Please DO NOT post them to
bug-gnu-utils/gnu.utils.bug.


Thanks,
Roland McGrath