[Axiom-developer] Re: Requiring LaTeX

[Gabriel Dos Reis]

On Fri, 1 Sep 2006, root wrote:

| Latex is not optional, it is not overhead, it is not waste.
| If latex is not installed then axiom SHOULD NOT BUILD.

The logical consequence is that Axiom would probably stay in its black
hole ghetto and you continue ranting alone here wondering why nobody
recognizes the value of Axiom, and why you have so few people
contributing to Axiom.  The 30-years horizons might just be 30-years
night.

| I get the distinct impression that no-one has really made the
| transition to literate programming.

I strongly suspect you get a VERY WRONG impression.

The question is not whether we understand the value of literate
programming.  The issue is more about how we leverage on existing
tools to bring literate programming mainstream.  Until you appreciate
that that you can NOT take over the world overnight, you will
unknowingly be harming Axiom.

[...]

| Literate programming has almost nothing to do with latex.

How true!  Now get down, and concrete.  Axiom requires latex to
build.  That requirement should be losened until you take over the
world.  Latex isn't needed for running and testing Axiom.  Refusing to
build Axiom on a system where latex does not exist is not just
non-sensical.  It does active harm to the project itself.

Nobody has proposed that Axiom be non-literate -- if that is what
you're arguing.

-- Gaby