Re: [Axiom-developer] Re: [fricas-devel] Installation directory

[Martin Rubey]

C Y <address@hidden> writes:

> I think the concern here is accidentally overwriting an installation of Axiom
> with FriCAS, for example, or having the wrong library used due to path
> confusion.  In my opinion that concern is valid.

So, how much work is it to reinstall axiom or friCAS, or open-axiom?  1 minute?
2 minutes?

> Pursuing branches at the Algebra language level will quickly lead to very
> different systems.  It looks similar right now because we are all still close
> to the origin - personally I doubt this will last indefinitely.

I believe, the question is rather: do we want to drift apart at the user level?
I don't.  If the algebra starts to diverge, do you think the number of
contributers will triple?  As far as I can see, (i.e., among the mathematicians
I know of) the number of axiom users has rather decreased since the forks,
although it was increasing before.

I believe that forking the fundamental workings of axiom (i.e., the algebra,
the compiler) in an essentially incompatible way would be a disaster for axiom.
In this case, axiom would be lucky if only one fork would survive.  Otherwise,
we will have three nearly dead CAS.

> Aren't most of the key players on all the lists anyway?

At least, it doesn't seem that the "key players" read all the lists.  Otherwise
Tim would have known that SAGE runs Waldek's branch, there was a lengthy
discussion of the reasons for that.

Martin