RE: [Axiom-developer] RE: cross-compiling Axiom

[Bill Page]

On September 5, 2006 4:45 AM Gabriel Dos Reis wrote:
> ...
> Bill Page wrote:
> | Since the Axiom compiler is written in Lisp and BOOT, and BOOT
> | compiles to Lisp, and GCL compiles Lisp to C, and GCL is
> | written in C and is compiled with gcc, and gcc can be cross-
> | compiled ... what is the problem?
> 
> is that supposed to be an existential proof?
>

No, that is just what SBCL does and of course it can be done
with GCL as well without the bootstrapping issue. GCL already
runs on all of the Debian architectures. That is better than
an existential proof, it is proof by construction.
 
> Sorry, I've little time for quibbling.

You originally raised the issue, claiming that this prevents
the inclusion of Axiom in major Linux distributions. If this
is just a "quibble", then that is quite unfortunate for Axiom.

I find your non-analytic, confrontational manner about this
issue to be rather surprising, given that you obviously
understand and are contributing to the solution of a lot of
other more important issues. I suppose this prompts me to
reply in a like manner. I am sorry for that. :(

But really I am not so sure this is such an important issue.
After all, we do have Axiom available on Debian and Ubantu via

  apt-get install axiom*

Installing Axiom on other major platforms is quite straight
forward. Maybe that is enough. None of Mathematica, Maple,
Maxima nor Sage are include any of the "major" Linux
distributions.

> If you believe Axiom in its current form supports
> cross-compilation in the GNU toolchain context,
> please work out precisely the details for me.

No, GCL (and therefore Axiom) does *not* support cross-
compilation.

> That would save me lot of work.

Could you remind me why you want to do this, again?

> Otherwise, help me with more constructive proofs.

I repeat: What is the problem?

> 
> Here is an idea of what it takes to cross-compile GCC, for
> example
> 
>      http://linux.bytesex.org/cross-compiler.html
> 
> (or course, I could have given you the link to Dan Kegel's more
> elaborated and complete crosstool suite, but I prefer the above
> link for its simplicity at exposing the core issues.

I thought you said you did not want the Axiom compiler to be a
cross-compiler, but only that you wish to cross-compile Axiom.
If by cross-compile, what you really mean is to port Axiom then
(in principle) all that you need to do to do this is to cross-
compile gcc. Of course there are some "sticky issues" concerning
memory management and interface to native operating systems.
This is what prevents for example an easy port of GCL (and Axiom)
from Linux to Windows.

> 
> Please, again have a look at the description of how SBCL
> achieves cross-compilation.
> 

I read it in detail. SBCL does *not* achieve cross-compilation.
You (and they) are confusing porting an application with cross-
compilation. There is nothing in the SBCL build process that
cannot already be done using GCL - already is done on Debian.

Regards,
Bill Page.