RE: [Axiom-developer] Release?

[Bill Page]

Tim,

On Sunday, December 12, 2004 12:57 PM you wrote:
> 
> I ran the install script on a windows box and at completion 
> (when I click 'finish') it starts axiom but immediately fails
> with the message:
> 
> Error: Cannot open the file 
> c:/cvs/head/axiom/mnt/windows/algebra/compress.daase
> 

I will look into this problem. I can also reproduce it here
provided that no previous install of Axiom exists. I think that
it must have something to do with the timing of the setting
of the AXIOM variable since that is the message one would
expect if it was not set (Axiom is looking in the wrong place
of the database files).

> 
> However, an axiom icon appears on the desktop and clicking on 
> that works.

Yes. By that time the AXIOM variable is obviously set correctly.

> ... 
> First I think we need a bug-reporting script somewhere so people
> who are not developers can contact us with problems.

Perhaps we can include a link to the "issues" section of MathAction

http://page.axiom-developer.org/zope/mathaction/FrontPage/issuetracker

This is an "easy to use" bug tracking system.

> 
> Second I think we need to firm up some documentation, perhaps
> the tutorial (book volume 1) and make it also appear on the
> desktop. And we need to get it into a publishable form quickly.

If the user chooses "documentation" during the install, the
axiom-book.pdf (the whole 1000+ page book) and tutorial.pdf
files are also copied. There is a link to them under

  Start/Programs/Axiom

tutorial.pdf is a version of the tutorial that was distributed
with NAG's windows version of Axiom but it has been adapted to
refer to the TeXmacs interface instead of techexplorer.

Perhaps it would be nice to have the planned volume 1 of the book
instead of the whole book.

> 
> Third I think we need to modify the graphic on the icon as I'm
> not sure of the status of the book front cover.

I doubt that it is a copyrightable issue. But I agree that it is
only a "first effort". I was just playing around when I designed
it. I thought about using the icon that was provided with NAG's
windows version, but then I thought that it looks just as "ugly"
as my primative effort. It would be nice if we could get a real
graphic artist to do something nice for us.

> Perhaps we can use the blue bayou graphic with an overlaid 'axiom'
> word instead. That icon is nice piece of work on somebody's part.

If someone can send me a new .ico file, I would be glad to
substitute it.

> 
> I'm now in the process of installing the msys environment.

> Once I do that I'm going to 
> 1) download the axiom--windows--1 branch to see if I can get 
> it to build. 

You will also need tla for windows from

  http://download.sipsolutions.de/tla-setup.exe

and the windows LaTeX packaged called MikTex

  http://www.miktex.org/setup.html

The "Small MiKTeX" package is sufficient if your windows box is
connected to the Internet. Or if you want you can install the
complete system.

> 2) If that succeeds I'll proceed with merging the 
> axiom--windows--1 branch 
>    into axiom--main--1

It will fail unless you first merge the files sent to you by
Mike Thomas last week. I have not yet suceeded in merging these
properly into axiom--windows--1 myself. Let me know if you get
this to work. Otherwise we will need Mike's assistance.

> 3) test axiom--main--1 on both linux and windows
> 4) get axiom--main--1 repackaged for linux (rpm, deb) and windows
> 5) move axiom--main--1 to savannah
> 

Good plan.

But I also agree with Martin Rubey that some priority should be
give to the patches currently waiting in Savannah. Some of these
are necessary even to reproduce the simple numerical results in
Martin Dunstan's tutorial.

Regards,
Bill Page.