[Axiom-developer] bootstrap Meta/Boot

[daly]

Bill writes:

> You probably know where my sympathy lies. I strongly believe that Tim
> is right: "This code is not part of the bootstrap but needs to be at
> some point." and I object to the continuing trend to reduce everything
> to Lisp.

In the IBM/NAG days you needed a running Axiom to build Axiom.

Meta, like Boot, was cleverly written in itself. Thus if you have a
running Meta, you can have a running Meta. And you need to get Meta
running before all else. If you have a running Boot you can make a
running Boot. 

Such a trend leads you back to the point where you need a running
Axiom to build a running Axiom.  It is an interesting, but academic,
problem which is elegantly sidestepped by lisp code.

Fortunately in the brave new world we seem to inhabit, there is no
sticking place for your objection.  You can create your own branch and
thus reconstruct Meta in Meta and Boot in Boot.

Tim