Re: [Axiom-developer] Re: [fricas-devel] Installation directory

[root]

>Waldek Hebisch <address@hidden> writes:
>
>> The following patch changes installation directory from 
>> $PREFIX/lib/axiom to $PREFIX/lib/fricas and the name of installed
>> binary from $PREFIX/bin/axiom to $PREFIX/bin/fricas.
>> 
>> I think that we should do this change to avoid conflicts with
>> other Axiom flavours.

Martin writes:
>
>Waldek, I think this is not a very good idea.  I think that those who really
>want to install several flavours of axiom in parallel, will find a way to do
>that.
>
>But for all the others, it just means that incompatibility is increased.  For
>example, axiom.el would have to be customized for no good reason.
>
>Please do not commit this change.


I, of course, take the opposite position. Fricas is clearly making a
name for itself (e.g. with Sage) and does not need to step on Axiom.

It should be possible to have both systems installed, ala CMUCL and SBCL,
even though they do the same things; if only for the reason that it
would make it possible to compare results of system changes. Why should
the user suddenly lose all of their Fricas work (or Axiom work) when
they install the other system?

It would be trivial to ship a fricas.el that got installed properly.
Maintaining a single symbol in a non-algebra file is hardly a reason
to maintain a collision between the systems.

The name issue has already caused problems. William Stein of SAGE
believe he has Axiom installed when he actually has Fricas. So when
I ask him to try things they don't work because my instructions are
for Axiom, not Fricas.

Waldek has been excellent about pushing the name change everywhere
and this is one of the final external stages.

We've been working cooperatively (eg, Waldek has sent Axiom patches,
I've sent )help files to Fricas) and I expect that to continue.

As a mathematician I'd expect that you understand that different
things should have different names. 

Tim