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

[Bill Page]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: address@hidden 
> [mailto:address@hidden On Behalf Of Gabriel Dos Reis
> Sent: September 3, 2006 2:44 PM
> To: Bill Page
> Cc: address@hidden
> Subject: Re: [Axiom-developer] RE: cross-compiling Axiom
> 
> 
> "Bill Page" <address@hidden> writes:
> 
> | I don't know who doesn't know what doesn't work. 
> 
> The issue is not who doesn't know, but why you believe that anyone
> suggesting cross-compilation of Axiom does not know how lisp works,
> as you suggested in earlier message.  That would help clarify
> confusions.

Sorry, I did not intend to offend anyone. All I meant was I do not
believe that cross-pile is possible using a lisp like GCL. And it
is unclear to me how this can be done with any lisp - but you say
emacs lisp is cross-compiled and I believe you. But I don't see
how that can help the cross-compile issue with Axiom.

In fact, so far your replies have been distinctly unhelpful... :(

> 
> | I just asked how can this be done with gcl?
> 
> There are numerous poins to work out; and I've listed the most
> obvious that immediately came to my mind.
> ...
> Properly distinguish build, host and target specific tools and
> files. Make sure that, for example, when GCL tries to compile a
> function, it invokes the adequate C compiler; that GCL is itself
> compiled with the adequate C compiler etc.
>

I don't see how any of these points apply to gcl. gcl is based
on gcc. That is a "adequate C compiler" isn't it?

> 
> The idea is to be able to use platform A to build Axiom, or 
> minimal part of it, so that the built Axiom can run on platform
> B.

I have no idea how that would be possible except perhaps through
some virtual machine technology - but then that is not really
cross-compilation is it?

> 
> Most distributors work that way, because they usually have
> faster build machines.  Again, refer to Benjamin Kosnik's message
> from April 2006. 
> 

I can not find any reference by Benjamin Kosnik to lisp in the
axiom-developer archive. I did find however David Mentre's
explanation of why cross-compilation might be difficult/impossible
for Axiom.

http://lists.nongnu.org/archive/html/axiom-developer/2006-04/msg00318.html

Regards,
Bill Page.