Re: [Gcl-devel] Re: Status of GCL?

[Camm Maguire]

Greetings!

Jeff Dalton <address@hidden> writes:

> Yes, clines is what I usually do.  I find the KCL approach
> much nicer than the foreign function interface in other Lisps.
> 
> The problem is when the C code refers to something in a C
> library that isn't in GCL.  si:faslink handled that case.
> When it stopped being supported, I had to manually build
> in the desired routines by writing some C code that referred
> to them and then rebuilding GCL with the .o file included.
> 
> It sounds like the "alternate method based on the makefiles"
> that you mentioned was similar.
> 
> Perhaps (compiler::link...) will do the job.
> 

Yes, I believe so.  You might want to try for example:

(compiler::link nil 
        "new_image_name" 
        "(any-possibly-needed initializing lisp code)" 
        "c_module.o libwritten_in_c.a")

> I've done a lot of work with KCL/AKCL/GCL over the years
> (including porting it a couple of times), and I'd like to
> start using it again if it's being actively supported,
> which it sounds like it is.
> 

Great!  Nice to know experienced users!  This experience is very
valuable to the project and its future development.

Stable version numbers are x.y,z, where y is even -- development
numbers have y odd.  Currently 2.6.1 is the latest stable version, and
2.7.0 is the current development version.  Its often easiest to
retrieve via cvs:

export CVS_RSH=ssh
export CVSROOT=:ext:address@hidden:/cvsroot/gcl

cvs -z9 -q co -d gcl-2.6.1 -r Version_2_6_1 gcl
cvs -z9 -q co -d gclcvs-2.7.0 gcl

We are very close to releasing 2.6.2 as the latest stable, at which
time we'll also put tar files of the source on ftp.gnu.org.

Wondering what ports you've done in the past.  Currently, we run on
all 12 Debian GNU/Linux platforms, Windows, solaris, freebsd and
macosx.  GCL carries maxima, acl2, axiom, and (pc)nqthm1992 to these
platforms passing all tests, as well as compiling itself and passing a
quite rigorous compiler random form stress tests developed by our own
Paul Dietz.

> In fact, I still use it for one thing (the O-Plan AI planning
> system).  Unfortunately, due to Linux and FreeBSD changes over
> the years, the GCLs I'm using no longer work well enough for
> me to load compiled code.
> 
> Since O-Plan isn't being actively developed these days, I've
> been able to get by with an old image and non-compiled files
> loaded at run-time(!).
> 

Is this O-Plan open source?  If its useful to others as well, we might
want to include it in our informal list of packages GCL must compile
to be release worthy.  Could even make a Debian package of it if there
is interest.

> But several things have recently come up that I'd like to do
> with O-Plan, and it would be much easier if I had a properly
> working GCL.
> 

I think if you are using freebsd/linux, as it appears you are, you'll
be quite happy with the current status.

Take care,

> -- Jeff
> 
> 
> 
> 

-- 
Camm Maguire                                            address@hidden
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"The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens."  --  Baha'u'llah