Re: [Bug-apl] Question on installing GNU APL on Windows

[Mike Duvos]

Hi Richard,

I run GNU APL under Cygwin in both 32 and 64 bit Windows, and also under 64 bit Ubuntu Server.

To build GNU APL, you first install Cygwin.  You'll need to install g++ and make, and I usually also grab gdb and nano at the same time.

Then the usual ./configure, make, make install, will build it.  The shared libraries won't build, because DLLs can't have undefined external references in them.  They work under ELF, which can resolve such things at runtime.

To get an APL font, you'll need to run GNU APL in an Xterm.  So install xorg-server, xterm, xlaunch, and xorg-docs in Cygwin.  Then click on your xlaunch icon, pick "run a program" which will run xterm by default, and click through the rest of the screens.  An Xterm will pop up on your desktop.

In the xterm, type the following command.

setxkbmap us,apl -variant APL2 -option grp:alt_shift_toggle
 

This will give you a regular keyboard, and one with all the funny APL characters, with alt-shift switching between the two.

Then type "apl" and youi're off and running.

Regards,

Mike

On Sat, Oct 31, 2015 at 7:23 PM, Richard Levine <address@hidden> wrote:

Hi – Do people think there may be an audience for more documentation / learning aids for installing GNU APL under Windows? Does anyone have any pointers to “easy” documentation for installing GNU APL on Windows, in the sense of exactly the steps to do this, for someone who has used Linux / Unix in the past but has little recent experience with it?

 

I am running Windows 7 and am quite experienced with installing and running APL interpreters (and J) in Windows (various versions). I have for the first time installed Cygwin, added tar, downloaded apl-1.5.tar.gz, and “un-tarred it”. Now I’m not sure how to proceed, having never done this before. I have a basic knowledge of Unix. I have several times read all the README* files, the GNU APL Home Page,  and gone through a great deal of the GNU APL mailing list archives (bug-apl). It all looks great, but for me I can’t find something for my level.

 

If there’s a document with exactly the steps, could someone point me to it?

 

I’m thinking that perhaps there is a need for more documentation for experienced Windows users who are really quite unfamiliar with Linux, who want to get up and running with GNU APL.  There could be a large audience of Windows users who are or might become interested in assessing and using GNU APL, but aren’t that familiar with installing and compiling under Linux, and then setting up APL keyboard mappings.

 

I did find a tutorial on Youtube (actually there are several) that was really helpful for installing Cygwin.  Perhaps there are videos showing how to get GNU APL up and running under Cygwin?

 

PS – GNU APL looks great. This is my first experience with APL under Linux and GNU APL looks like a very solid project. It’s certainly looks worth the effort going up the Linux learning curve.

 

Richard Levine