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Elena Pourmal <epourmal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes: > Hi Ed, > > Zlib is optional for HDF5. We intentionally didn't put zlib with HDF5 > source as we did many years ago for HDF4. Yes, I can see that. > > Are you talking about source code or binary distribution? Source code. > > Would it be possible for you to make zlib optional for NetCDF-4? Could > you explain more about shared libraries problem? Would it be possible? Yes. Would it be desirable? I don't think so. The problem with making it optional is that then someone can easily produce a netCDF-4 file that won't be readable is some places because zlib is not built into netcdf-4 somewhere. (That is, a user with zlib-enabled netCDF-4 can create the file, and send it to someone without zlib in netCDF-4, who would then be unable to read it. And would then send me a support email for me to handle. In which I will tell him to build netCDF-4 with zlib. So why not save all that trouble, and *always* build netCDF-4 with zlib?) What is the benefit if *not* having zlib installed? It is tiny and easy to include. Leaving it out gains nothing that I can see. Right now, netCDF-4 *requires* that HDF5 be built with zlib. I am trying to get a configuration tarball together to support that. Unless someone can present a very good reason for doing so, I don't see why there should be two versions of netCDF-4 out there, one with, and one without zlib. So the question becomes: how to get one tarball to work for netCDF-4, including zlib. The easiest way would be in HDF5 included zlib, and I may have to hack the HDF5 configuration to do this in the case of the netCDF-4 master tarball. But it would be so much easier if this was done at HDF5 HQ, instead of my me in my garage... Ed -- Ed Hartnett -- ed@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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