RE: [Axiom-developer] source access

[Juergen Weiss]

Actually the most difficult part of the build process -- to
handle the dependencies of the algebra sources has already
dealt with by Tim Daly. With a few precompiled (to lisp source)
modules, it is possible to compile all the algebra. (I don't
now, if it's possible to do it without the precompiled 
modules -- but that would be quite a bit of work and it's
questionable that it's worth the effort: one would have
to write some skeleton algebra modules, probably one would have
to fix the bootstrap mode of the algebra compiler and devise
a complicated iterative method to get the core algebra 
files compiled).

The current problem lies with gcl. With cmucl I was able to
compile all the algebra files and get a working algebra
system.

So there is nothing in principle and practice against generating
an axiom system with a simple call to make. There is a
problem with the gcl system which must be fixed. As far I can
see from the discussion in this list, it seems to be related
to the number of arguments in a function call or something similar. 
Akcl had to be customized even 10 years ago to run axiom. I think,
I did that once for akcl on sparc sunos 4.1. But I fear I cannot
remember the details. This problem is triggered by the axiom
compiler, which compiles algebra files to lisp, not the axiom 
runtime system. So Tim Daly wants to translate the files to
lisp on another system and distribute the translated lisp files
as a first measure. So one could get a working axiom runtime
system -- at first without the ability to compile the algebra files.

Other paths would be to use another lisp system, cmu cl for
example. Getting a core system with cmu cl is not so difficult
(I have one), but getting all the functionality (graphics,
hyperdoc etc.) requires some work. Because I'm mainly interested
in the algebra, that did not matter to me.

Juergen Weiss

Juergen Weiss     | Universitaet Mainz, Zentrum fuer Datenverarbeitung,
address@hidden| 55099 Mainz, Tel: +49(6131)39-26361, FAX:
+49(6131)39-26407


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jason White [mailto:address@hidden 
> Sent: Tuesday, June 10, 2003 11:58 AM
> To: address@hidden
> Subject: Re: [Axiom-developer] source access
> 
> 
>  > 
>  > Ayal,
>  > 
>  > > Another question, perhaps a bit of a newbie question: is
>  > > the code available through cvs? I tried to find it but to no
>  > > avail. (Tenkan? Maybe its cvs server was down when i tried).
> 
> For those who want read-only access, try
> :pserver:address@hidden:/home/cvs
> and checkout axiom (no password required).
> 
> Incidentally, I agree with Tim that it should be possible to download
> the sources to Axiom and GCL, type `make' and get a working binary
> without having a running Axiom system beforehand. As Tim says he has
> done most of the work already, this also seems the clearest path to
> success, especially with a view toward portability. Obviously this is
> a decision for the developers to make, but if there is no
> architectural reason to the contrary, I think the build process should
> be made to work as Tim envisages.
> 
> 
> 
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