I object, at least for now, becuase this is inconsistent with the emerging consensus from the ongoing discussion. As I understand it, the biggest issue is that one cannot really use multiple C++ compilers on a given system at the same time. Then, given that c++11 is now more or less normal, we should just let the c++ value imply c++11, and more or less consider any pre-c++11 C++ compiler to be defective. So that more or less means that if the system gcc is 4.8 (4.7?) or newer, then we use it, otherwise we force 4.8, but via a variable that the user can set to pick a different value, intended to be set once, conceptually at bootsrap time. I don't follow how having c++11 and c++14 both is going to lead to working packages as a non-trivial number of packages need them and link with each other.
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