Re: [Axiom-developer] --patch-50

[root]

> > | Anyway, I do not see why the Axiom build should be designed to
> > | require latex. The only really essential tool here is noweb.
> > 
> > We also latex the document; that is part of the basic requirements --
> > we had a discussion on that issue last week or so with Tim.
> 
> I do not recall that discussion. I do not agree that latex should be
> part of the basic requirements. LaTeX plays no essential role in
> compiling Axiom from source. Of course LaTeX (or an equivalent like
> Lyx or TeXmacs etc.) would be a requirement if one intended to actually
> modify the source since Axiom is coded in a literate style, but that
> is another issue.

hmmpf.  you'll never convince tim of THIS one :-)

> > If you want to convince him, good luck.
> 
> I thought the point of Silver was that we didn't have to try to
> convince Tim of anything anymore ... ;)  (... meant to be funny).

in some sense, yes. the SVN branch is a place where such "wild"
ideas (such as axiom without latex) can be explored. it's the
'Linux Torvolds' vs 'Andrew Morton' organization used in Linux
(not that i'm claiming to be linus...)

Andrew maintains a -mm version of Linux that includes many 
patches/changes/extensions/breakage that is not accepted into
the mainline distribution if/until Linus is convinced. some
ideas (such as the kernel debugger) never get included in the
main distribution (see http://kwn.net/2000/0914/a/lt-debugger.php3)

i can see from his post that Linus is a 'primitivist' like myself :-)

> > If there are problems somewhere, I'm very willing to fix them, but
> > I decline to fix the build environments.
> > 
> 
> I think "fix" is too strong a word for the SF compile farm since
> these machines serve many different purposes.

latex does not need to be globally installed.

t