[feature] AutotoolsToolchain should support install_args analogous to make_args for consistency.

[System-Arch]

Hi @czoido, Hi @memsharded

Thank you for quickly addressing the primary issue in #12470. This feature request captures the second suggestion proffered there:

Some Makefiles don't do well with parallel execution (-j > 1) during the install phase, and thus it would be nice if AutotoolsToolchain supported an additional attribute called "install_args" analogous to "make_args" as the only place one can disable parallel execution today is via make_args and that affects both the "make" and "install" Autotools methods.

If one tries to specify -j1 via autotools.install(args=["-j1"]), they suffer two consequences:

1. The -j1 has no effect because the resulting make invocation has both -j1 and -jN and the latter wins.
2. The default DESTDIR value is lost unless it is explicitly added to the args value.

Thanks

• I've read the CONTRIBUTING guide.

[System-Arch]

Here's how this is currently documented:

This generator will also generate a file called conanbuild.conf containing two keys:

configure_args: Arguments to call the configure script.
make_args: Arguments to call the make script.
autoreconf_args: Arguments to call the autoreconf script.

and I am suggesting that it read:

This generator will also generate a file called conanbuild.conf containing four keys:

configure_args: Arguments to call the configure script.
make_args: Arguments to call the make script with when invoking the default target
install_args: Arguments to call the make script with when invoking the install target
autoreconf_args: Arguments to call the autoreconf script.

[SpaceIm]

Possible duplicate of #12296

[czoido]

Hi @System-Arch , @SpaceIm

I have opened #12505 to address this issue

[czoido]

Here's how this is currently documented:

This generator will also generate a file called conanbuild.conf containing two keys:
configure_args: Arguments to call the configure script.
make_args: Arguments to call the make script.
autoreconf_args: Arguments to call the autoreconf script.

and I am suggesting that it read:

This generator will also generate a file called conanbuild.conf containing four keys:
configure_args: Arguments to call the configure script.
make_args: Arguments to call the make script with when invoking the default target
install_args: Arguments to call the make script with when invoking the install target
autoreconf_args: Arguments to call the autoreconf script.

This is documenting that these variables are passed from the AutotoolsToolchain to the Autotools build helper, but install_args can't be modified in AutotoolsToolchain so it's not included in that file and that's why there are only three keys in the file.

[System-Arch]

Hi @czoido,

Yes, I was using the doc as a way of suggesting the addition of an extra key for install_args, however, your alternative of allowing -j1 to be passed in via args addresses my original use case and, in fact, aligns with what I originally tried/expected as a solution. It was only when my args -j1 value was ignored that I dug into the implementation of autotools.install() and autotools.make(). Thanks