RE: [Axiom-developer] differences wh-sandbox andbuild-improvements

[gdr]

Quoting Bill Page <address@hidden>:

> On April 16, 2007 3:32 AM Gaby wrote:
>
> > I have a functional development environment under windows
> > -- cygwin -- but I cannot use it because GCL does not work under
> > cygwin
>
> What do you mean that GCL does not work under cygwin? It works
> for me. You just can't compile it under cygwin.

That means the same thing for me: If I cannot compile it under cygwin,
it does not work for me as far as Axiom development is concerned.

> > and I have been told on this list that windows people don't
> > care about GCL under cygwin.
>
> I think that in general windows people don't care much for
> cygwin. period. What it does is foreign to them plus it is a
> poor replacement for linux, if linux is what you really want.

But, I do not mean linux.  My impression is that you're
completely missing the picture by micro-focusing on linux vs.
non-linux environment and drawing misplaced conclusions
characterizations.

What I want is to have a reasonable development under windows
-- whether it is mingw or cygwin, I don't care much.  The only
thing I care about is that the environment does not disrupt
me much from doing actual work.

> > I guess the fact that windows people on this list don't help
> > that much to make concrete forward progress is OK.
>
> I think that is typical.

OK; I believe the logical conclusion for me is probably that I
drop any work on Axiom on windows.

[...]

> > And my problems did not go away.  I guess that is forward
> > progress.
>
> not.
>
> I could repeat almost word-for-word a similar statement by Tim
> Daly concerning svn. It turns out that I can reproduce both of
> your problems and I discussed how to solve both of them and
> still neither of you are interested. I guess that's progress.

Granted you can reproduce the problems, but the solution you suggested
did not work for me. I moved ActivePerl's path away from /bin and
/mingw/bin.  Now, I tried to install autoconf-2.60 -- I explained
why I cannot require autoconf-2.61; more on this below.  Except the
build goes into infinite loop, so that I never get a functional build.

> not.
>
> > ...
> > > I can reproduce the error that you reported:
> > > ...
> > > The system cannot find the path specified.
> > ...
> > yes.
>
> So install MSYS from pre-packaged components and the problem goes
> away.

But I already have MSYS pre-packaged components from mingw.org!

> Just because other people get away with using ActivePerl
> with minGW doesn't make it a "supported configuration" or good
> idea.

Definitely, my reading of the mingw documentation from mingw
website is that ActivePerl is a "supported configuration".
But again, that point is moot by now.  Even old Perl from
msys does not get me install Autoconf-2.60.

> > >> >
> > >> > I recommend that we go to autoconf-2.61 for all Axiom builds.
> > >> >
> > >>
> > >> As long as you prepare and commit all my patches, I'm fine
> > >> with that.
> > >>
> > >
> > > Gee, that sounds familiar. Where did I hear that before? Oh,
> > > sorry. I forgot. This is the Axiom open source project - the
> > > one where each developer chooses there own flavor and version
> > > of the basic tools ... I with draw my recommendation. Let's
> > > just all continue to do it our own way. ;)
> > >
> >
> > I believe you got it wrong; even with a smiley.
> > There are several "rules" I've developed over the years, while
> > maintaining linux boxes, that include:
> >   (1) don't mess with "system" tools packaged by linux distros;
> >   (2) duplicating tools under /usr/local, sooner or later causes
> >       troubles.
> >   (3) install system tools under /usr/local only when they solve
> >       fundamental problems.
>
> MSYS is not a linux distro by any imagination but I think the same
> principle applies.

Which implies that I should not even try your suggestion of installing
Autoconf-2.61 from a non-officially supported third party.  I don't
think your statements are coherent.

> Install MSYS from "standard" components as I
> indicated here:
>
> http://wiki.axiom-developer.org/BuildAxiom

I'm very familiar with that webpage; it does not solve
the issues I'm facing.

> Then build autoconf-2.6x. Install it where ever you like.

Bill -- again, building Autoconf-2.60 does not work on the "virgin"
msys/mingw fails as an infinite loop.

> > I suspect you'd have much more effective impact at explaining
> > me how automake-2.61 fare vis-a-vis the above three rules.
>
> The current MSYS developer package does not contain autoconf-2.6x.
> If you think you need at least 2.60 what other choice do you have?

I move from Autoconf-2.5x to Autoconf-2.60 because:
 (1) it does fix a bug, that turns out to be serious in later
     development for Axiom (partly because of some bugs in Axiom).
 (2) all my development machines have Autoconf-2.60 installed
     (prepackages with the linux distribution).

As I see this, I can the reasonable choice for me is to stop any
work related to Axiom on windows; that save me valuable time, and
probably spares me from unwarranted unhelpful characterizations
and moralization.  If people care about Axiom on windows, they
will find resources to get it happen.  I'm done.

> If not revert the autoconf stuff to 2.59. (Waldek is still using
> 2.59 in wh-sandbox.)
>
> Regards,
> Bill Page.