[Axiom-developer] Re: things to try

[root]

Jinzhong,

The reason your console output ended with a running Axiom command 
prompt is that the Axiom build runs tests. The test you were running
is called "wiggle" (src/input/wiggle.input.pamphlet). It attempts
to draw a graph on the screen. It appears that the graph process
never started (perhaps you don't have xhost permission to open a
window?) or that the graph process hung somewhere. Normally the
axiom build completes and returns to a top level shell prompt.

It appears that there may be a race condition for handling graphics.

As for the issue of )quit vs quit...
'quit' is a perfectly valid variable name as are most other
symbols so there has to be a syntax for "escaping" the commands.
axiom uses a leading paren for all commands.

In any case, you should now have a working axiom, right?

btw, please copy address@hidden as there are several
people on this list who either have answers or have similar problems.

Tim

============== attached email =========================================

It seems that someone has actually updated the version in the arch
server, so I updated my local copy without doing anything on the
Makefile.pamphlet. The problem seemed gone, but the compilation never
brought the prompt back. The following is the ending part of the
output of the compilation.

########################################################################
....
make[3]: Leaving directory `/home/jniu/axiom/axiom--main--1--patch-15/src/graph'
5 making /home/jniu/axiom/axiom--main--1--patch-15/src/sman
make[3]: Entering directory `/home/jniu/axiom/axiom--main--1--patch-15/src/sman'
18 finished /home/jniu/axiom/axiom--main--1--patch-15/src/sman
make[3]: Leaving directory `/home/jniu/axiom/axiom--main--1--patch-15/src/sman'
33 making /home/jniu/axiom/axiom--main--1--patch-15/src/input
make[3]: Entering directory 
`/home/jniu/axiom/axiom--main--1--patch-15/src/input'
3 making /home/jniu/axiom/axiom--main--1--patch-15/int/input

make[4]: Entering directory 
`/home/jniu/axiom/axiom--main--1--patch-15/int/input'
967a making /home/jniu/axiom/axiom--main--1--patch-15/int/input/wiggle.output 
from /home/jniu/axiom/axiom--main--1--patch-15/int/input/wiggle.input
sman:main entered
sman:process_options entered
sman:set_up_defaults entered
sman:set_up_defaults exit
sman:process_arguments entered
  sman -noclef -gr -nonag -noht -noiw -ihere -ihere -nox -ws 
'$AXIOM/bin/AXIOMsys' -grprog '$AXIOM/lib/viewman' -nagprog '$AXIOM/lib/nagman' 
-htprog '$AXIOM/bin/hypertex -s' -clefprog '' -sessionprog '$AXIOM/lib/session' 
-clientprog '$AXIOM/lib/spadclient' -rm '(null)' -rv '(null)' -paste '(null)' 
sman:process_arguments exit
sman:process_options exit
sman:start_the_local_spadclient: $AXIOM/lib/spadclient
                        AXIOM Computer Algebra System 
             Version of Saturday December 18, 2004 at 02:45:08 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Issue )copyright to view copyright notices.
   Issue )summary for a summary of useful system commands.
   Issue )quit to leave AXIOM and return to shell.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
   Using local database 
/home/jniu/axiom/axiom--main--1--patch-15/mnt/linux/algebra/compress.daase..   
Re-reading compress.daase   Using local database 
/home/jniu/axiom/axiom--main--1--patch-15/mnt/linux/algebra/interp.daase..   
Re-reading interp.daase
   Using local database 
/home/jniu/axiom/axiom--main--1--patch-15/mnt/linux/algebra/operation.daase..   
Re-reading operation.daase
   Using local database 
/home/jniu/axiom/axiom--main--1--patch-15/mnt/linux/algebra/category.daase..   
Re-reading category.daase
   Using local database 
/home/jniu/axiom/axiom--main--1--patch-15/mnt/linux/algebra/browse.daase..   
Re-reading browse.daase
(1) -> 
(1) ->

########################################################################

When I checked with 'ps', it seemed that 'mnt/linux/bin/AXIOMsys' has
been started, which I guess was axiom just built. Is this what I am
supposed to see? I don't think it a good idea to launch axiom right
away at the end of 'make'. Instead it may be more straightforward to
give a message telling how to launch axiom after the compilation
succeeds. In addition, I missed the ')' before 'quit' in my first try
after '(1) ->'. I guess that's the style you guys have been practicing
since 30 years ago with axiom. But from the viewpoint of user
friendliness, the symbols like ')' (leading a command) and '='
(leading a file name) had better been removed. What do you think?

_________________________________________
Jinzhong Niu
address@hidden
Computer Science, The Graduate Center
The City University of New York
365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016