Feature #15914: mkmf without libruby

• Status: Open
• Assignee: -
• Target version: -

[glebm (Gleb Mazovetskiy)]

It would be nice to be able to use mkmf without libruby.

Motivating use-case:
Many gems provide Ruby bindings to C ABI via Ruby FFI instead of libruby.
This is because Ruby FFI is easier to use, is compatible with JRuby out-of-the-box, and allows binding to system libraries without compilation.

I currently use the following set of hacks to stop mkmf from including libruby:

ext/extconf.rb:

# Don't link libruby.
$LIBRUBYARG = nil

# Disable .def file generation for mingw, as it defines an
# `Init_libsass` export which we don't have.
MakeMakefile.send(:remove_const, :EXPORT_PREFIX)
MakeMakefile::EXPORT_PREFIX = nil

ext/depend:

# Replaces default mkmf dependencies. Default mkmf dependencies include all libruby headers.
# We don't need libruby and some of these headers are missing on JRuby (breaking compilation there).
$(OBJS): $(HDRS)

(full example: https://github.com/sass/sassc-ruby/tree/master/ext)

It'd be nice to have mkmf support for this without hacks.

[glebm (Gleb Mazovetskiy)]

• Description updated (diff)

[shevegen (Robert A. Heiler)]

It took me a moment to understand what you mean; I first misread it as "not
depending on mkmf".

I guess the intention for your change is to have more more flexibility; if
this is the case then personally I think this may be a useful change. May
be best to see what nobu and others from the core team think about your
suggestion.

[glebm (Gleb Mazovetskiy)]

• Description updated (diff)