xfce4-panel, dev-tools and pkg-config

[Benedikt Meurer]

James Westby wrote:
>>>How should I replicate label_PLUGINSDIR with this method?
>>
>>You should turn the xfce4-wavelan-plugin into an external plugin (the
>>panel contains a file describing the difference between internal and
>>external plugins IIRC). Then in your Makefile.am:
>>
>>plugindir = $(libexecdir)/xfce4/panel-plugins
>>plugin_PROGRAMS = xfce4-wavelan-plugin
>>
>>xfce4_wavelan_plugin_CFLAGS = $(LIBXFCE4PANEL_CFLAGS)
>>xfce4_wavelan_plugin_LDFLAGS = $(LIBXFCE4PANEL_LIBS)
>>...
>>
>>Check the xfce4-cpugraph-plugin as an example of how to setup the stuff
>>for an external plugin (it is a very simple plugin and was already
>>updated for 4.4).
> 
> Thanks, I'll do this later. 
> 
> I was looking at the cpugraph plugin for ideas (as well as many others),
> but I didn't think I needed to be an external plugin. I still don't
> really get the difference. 
> 
>     For an internal plugin, only the macro call is different. And of
>     course the build files.
> 
> But there must be some reason for the distinction.

Internal plugins are loaded into the panel process, while external
plugins run as separate processes. Everything that might affect the
stability of the panel should be an external plugin (that is every non
trivial plugin). The wireless plugin can be considered non-trivial. And
it also helps with debugging/testing the plugin. ;-)

> Thanks for the advice,
> James

Benedikt