Re: [Axiom-developer] /dev/null, noweb and Axiom

[Gabriel Dos Reis]

root <address@hidden> writes:

| > | > > I disagree with the idea that writing to /dev/null should be banned.
| > | > 
| > | > But isn't /dev/null quite Unix-specific? It basically means that in 
| > | > order to build Axiom one must have a Unix-like environment. Not that I 
| > | > want to make the build process more complicated, but I am just curious 
| > | > how difficult it would be to build Axiom without mingw or cygwin.
| > | 
| > | The use of ${TMP}/null rather than /dev/null is intentional.
| > 
| > I know it is intentional.  However, I seriously question the decision
| > behind it. 
| > 
| > Anyway, currently ${TMP}/null is useless one build noweb.
| > 
| > | Axiom does not write outside of it's directory subtree for any reason.
| > | Following this philosophy it cannot write to /dev/null, which may not
| > | even exist on certain platforms such as windows. 
| > 
| > Which "flavour" of windows that can built Axiom (with current build
| > system) and does not have /dev/null?
| 
| It's not a question of theology or flavors (or flavours). 

I'm sorry to say, but a principle followed blinded without taking into
account reality is theology.

[...]

| If you state a principle there is nothing else to explain.

That *is* theology.

| The guiding principle in this case is that 
| 
|   Axiom never writes outside its own directory

This *is simply untrue*, at least if you build Axiom+GCL.

[...]

| > That is close to theology.  /dev/null is very particular and must be
| > exempted from the general rule.
| > 
| 
| Why?

Because there simply is no single system on which Axiom has been built
and where it was impossible to redirect to /dev/null/  That is a
*fact*.  Your principles must take that fact into account.

| If we assume /dev/null exists we will open ourselves to a porting
| issue as soon as we attempt a native Windows port.

Exactly on which windows where will you be able to build Axiom without the
ability to rediect to /dev/null.  I believe you are trying to solve a
theoretical problems that has no practical foundation.


As a data point, there are plenty of software Autoconfiscated that
build and runs perfectly on windows.

-- Gaby