Re: Ideas for ocaml-team

[pukkamustard]

Salut!

Simon Tournier <zimon.toutoune@gmail.com> writes:

>> I think it's time to start an `ocaml-team` (or `ocaml-updates`) branch
>> to collect some bigger updates and changes to the OCaml packages in
>> Guix.
>
> I think that’s a great idea. :-)  Any progress on this?
>

There is #64249 (https://issues.guix.gnu.org/64249) to which I just
submitted a v6.

>> * Remove most ocaml4.07-* and ocaml4.09 packages
>>   - We only want to keep the compiler around for bootstrapping purposes.
>
> Currently camlboot is used by ocaml-4.07-boot used by ocaml-4.07.  But
> then version 4.09 and later and not bootstrapped; well they use the
> upstream bootstrap (which is boot/ocamlc and friends IIRC).
>
> Well, independently of this upgrade plan, the OCaml bootstrap could be
> the chain 4.07 -> 4.09 -> … and I do not know if 4.09 would be enough
> for 4.14.  And if 4.14 would also be enough for 5.

I don't know either and I don't think I will have time to look into this
soonish.

I think placing the 4.07 and 4.09 compiler in (gnu packages ocaml-boot),
even if unused, seems reasonable. We should add some nice
comments/breadcrumbs for whoever looks into completing the chain in the
future.

> That’s said, aside this bootstrapping consideration, I am in favor to
> remove 4.07 and 4.09 OCaml packages.

Ack

> Do we create the branch ocaml-team for doing this plan?

Just asked a similar question in the cover for the v6 to
#64249. Basically I don't know how fast I/we will be able to look into
the other items in this list. Maybe it makes sense to just merge in to
master instead of having a too long-lived ocaml-team branch? Or set a
pre-defined time-to-live for the branch? What's the current modus
operandi for other teams?

Cheers,
pukkamustard