Re: [Axiom-developer] Release?

[root]

Martin, Bill, 

I ran the install script on a windows box and at completion (when I click
'finish') it starts axiom but immediately fails with the message:

Error: Cannot open the file c:/cvs/head/axiom/mnt/windows/algebra/compress.daase


However, an axiom icon appears on the desktop and clicking on that works.
I'm really quite impressed. It worked on a normally installed windows
system with no problems that I can see. Amazing. Simply amazing.

If we're going to announce this to a broader audience (and we should)
perhaps we should consider a few things...

First I think we need a bug-reporting script somewhere so people who
are not developers can contact us with problems.

Second I think we need to firm up some documentation, perhaps the
tutorial (book volume 1) and make it also appear on the desktop.
And we need to get it into a publishable form quickly.

Third I think we need to modify the graphic on the icon as I'm not
sure of the status of the book front cover. Perhaps we can use the
blue bayou graphic with an overlaid 'axiom' word instead. That icon
is nice piece of work on somebody's part.

I'm now in the process of installing the msys environment. Once I
do that I'm going to 
1) download the axiom--windows--1 branch to see if I can get it to build. 
2) If that succeeds I'll proceed with merging the axiom--windows--1 branch 
   into axiom--main--1
3) test axiom--main--1 on both linux and windows
4) get axiom--main--1 repackaged for linux (rpm, deb) and windows
5) move axiom--main--1 to savannah

As to the issue of announcing, feel free to make any announcements you
feel are appropriate. The sci.math.symbolic mailing lists, etc are a
good idea. Perhaps once it appears there we could convince franz and
other lisp companies to give us a work environment (e.g. zero cost
software) to recover the version of axiom that used to work on their
software.

Excellent work all around. 

You did remember to put your names in the README file and the
src/interp/setq.lisp.pamphlet files, right?

t