Add CMake build directory patterns to `.gitignore` #1775

pull hebasto wants to merge 2 commits into bitcoin-core:master from hebasto:251118-ignore-build changing 5 files +9 −20

hebasto commented at 10:27 AM on November 18, 2025: member

Whenever I work on changes that require comparison, such as benchmarking, I end up with two or more build directories that provide different binary variants simultaneously. Adding these build directories to .gitignore makes the workflow a bit easier.

Additionally, a trivial refactoring is included to reduce the code.

in .gitignore:56 in 90b3339481 outdated

  67 |  ### CMake
  68 |  /CMakeUserPresets.json
  69 | -# Default CMake build directory.
  70 | -/build
  71 | +# CMake build directories.
  72 | +/*build*

hebasto commented at 10:28 AM on November 18, 2025:

The same pattern is used in Bitcoin Core.

real-or-random commented at 10:36 AM on November 18, 2025: contributor

Concept ACK

We could also get rid of build-aux entirely by moving the contents of the only file into configure.ac. I think that would be nice. build-aux can be confusing to people familiar only with CMake, and it hinders tab-completion with CMake dirs etc... What do you think?
real-or-random added the label build on Nov 18, 2025
real-or-random added the label tweak/refactor on Nov 18, 2025
hebasto commented at 1:28 PM on November 18, 2025: member
We could also get rid of build-aux entirely by moving the contents of the only file into configure.ac. I think that would be nice.

I think the main purpose of:https://github.com/bitcoin-core/secp256k1/blob/b6c2a3cd7752085d46434921238401766c964c01/configure.ac#L22 is to keep the top level of the repo uncluttered. Without it, it would end up filled as follows:
```
$ ./autogen.sh | grep -v libtoolize
configure.ac:38: installing './ar-lib'
configure.ac:36: installing './compile'
configure.ac:23: installing './config.guess'
configure.ac:23: installing './config.sub'
configure.ac:26: installing './install-sh'
configure.ac:26: installing './missing'
Makefile.am: installing './depcomp'
parallel-tests: installing './test-driver'
```
build-aux can be confusing to people familiar only with CMake, and it hinders tab-completion with CMake dirs etc... What do you think?

The build-aux directory could be renamed. Perhaps to something like autotools-aux?
real-or-random commented at 7:43 PM on November 19, 2025: contributor

Oh sure! Even I forgot the main purpose of the directory.

The build-aux directory could be renamed. Perhaps to something like autotools-aux?

I like that suggestion.

autotools: Rename `build-aux` to `autotools-aux`

This change improves separation from CMake build directories, which
typically use the "build" prefix.

Additionally, corresponding `.gitignore` entries have been refactored.

7eb86bdb01

Add CMake build directory patterns to `.gitignore` 748c0fdd67
hebasto force-pushed on Nov 20, 2025
hebasto commented at 12:44 PM on November 20, 2025: member

The build-aux directory could be renamed. Perhaps to something like autotools-aux?

I like that suggestion.

Thanks! Done.
real-or-random approved
real-or-random commented at 4:22 PM on November 27, 2025: contributor

utACK 748c0fdd67c646c83bd62e74a8e205e04d314e07
furszy commented at 6:18 PM on January 27, 2026: member

ACK 748c0fdd67c646c83bd62e74a8e205e04d314e07
real-or-random merged this on Jan 28, 2026
real-or-random closed this on Jan 28, 2026
hebasto deleted the branch on Jan 28, 2026
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