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

[Gabriel Dos Reis]

On Sun, 3 Sep 2006, Bill Page wrote:

|
|
| > -----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.

That is a very *distinctly different* statement.

| 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.

You don't have to believe me.  The source code is out there and you
can walk yourself through it and see how it is done.

| But I don't see how that can help the cross-compile issue with Axiom.

Emacs was offered a data point of a lisp-base system that can be
cross-compiled, in response to your original statement.

| 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?

First you have to make sure that core GCL is compiled with a C
compiler targetting the host.  Next, you have to make sure that GCL
uses the host C compiler for its internal purposes.  Furthermore, you
have to make sure that the rest of GCL (that really needs to run on
the host) is compiled in a host-like enrivonment.  Notice here that
you have a "seed" that is cross-compiled so that further compilation
can be done.   This is basically the way Emacs is compiled.

[...]

| > 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.

Again, read carefuuly what I wrote.  What I wrote is an explanation of
the way most distributors work.  Not to a mention to a specific lisp.

Now, if you hold it is impossible to cross-compile Axiom; then, that
is fine.  Let's move to another topic, and come back when I've
finished my work on cross-compilation.  Let's not just tell people
that they don't understand how lisp work.

-- Gaby