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

[Gabriel Dos Reis]

"Bill Page" <address@hidden> writes:

| Gaby,
| 
| On September 1, 2006 10:23 AM you wrote:
| > ...
| > Bill Page wrote: 
| > | 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 have enough patience to wait the long time needed to lookup
mails from the axiom-developer archive, it was mostly a ping-pong
between Tim and me on the list.

I do believe that there out to be a mode of compiling Axiom without
having to latex the pamphlet files, because there are situations where
those latexing are pure plain waste of valuable time.

[...]

| > 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.

well, when I asked for machines where I could test Axiom on, you kindly
reminded me that SF offers compile farm machines.  I find the idea great!
Then I proceeded to registered myself and test Axiom.  Only to find
that Axiom build requirements are met only on linux-based platforms. 
If we restrict ourselves sufficiently enough we should not have any
problem.  We could even build a wonderful black-hole ghetto for Axiom.  

Now, if I must spend valuable time to install tools on each of those
systems and watchout for my user configuration files to pick the right
binaries and whatnot, then I rather spend it on my research and teaching.
Axiom requirements are excellent in the abstract.  Its approach to the
real software world makes it a good candidate for the contest of most
frustrating open source software to contribute to. 

-- Gaby