Documentation for cmake-gui build flags

[MGarvinNYC]

Not a bug per se, but may as well be, given the amount of confusion resulting:
No one person seems to know, much less understand, the bewildering proliferation of options afforded by cmake/cmake-gui. Especially advanced options.

One of the single greatest benefits to users of OpenCV could be the ability to build OpenCV according to a coherent plan, and not having to comb through countless google searches for keywords that should really be documented somewhere. The build process turns into a lengthy trial-and-error, apparently even for some of the experienced veterans of the OpenCV forum.

This seems like it would be a very worthwhile effort. I have noted many good programmers who build OpenCV with templates found on various websites, only to find that essential features are missing later. This certainly seems within reach, and worthwhile.

[saskatchewancatch]

@MGarvinNYC It would be a very good worthwhile effort. I've seen intermediate developers experience what you've described.

Somewhere in the Doxygen docs plus good commenting in the CMake files themselves would probably save a lot of coursing through Stackoverflow, OpenCV Answers.

If the most commonly used options were elaborated on that would probably be immense help.

[Rubix982]

I'm willing to write and document this process. I was really put off a month ago when I just couldn't make OpenCV work for C++ because I just didn't understand why and how CMake works. It was frustrating. Luckily, I followed Learning OpenCV3 by Gary Bradski, and can run it perfectly fine now.

Any suggestions on where I should make changes? I'm new to this contributing here ( haven't yet contributed at all to OpenCV ), but would love to work on this issue.

[alalek]

Good starting point is reviewing existed build-related tutorials: https://docs.opencv.org/4.3.0/df/d65/tutorial_table_of_content_introduction.html

[Rubix982]

Alright, I'll look into it over the next coming days. Thank you!

[mshabunin]

@Rubix982 , you can check my attempt here: master...mshabunin:linux-tutorial
Feel free to use it as base.

[Rubix982]

Thank you, @mshabunin , I'll look into it soon after I'm done with work from my University.