Re: 3rd pass for Octave-3.6.1 app (X86_64 only) bundle for MacOS

[Ben Abbott]

On Mar 14, 2012, at 12:56 AM, Thomas Yengst wrote:

> On Mar 5, 2012, at 4:52 PM, Ben Abbott wrote:
> 
>> The testing for the 2nd pass went well on all X86_64 Macs with the exception 
>> of the Mac Mini Core 2 Duo running Snow Leopard. There are two examples 
>> where that combination does not work (I have no explanation for why the Mac 
>> Mini Core 2 Duo + Snow Leopard is a problem).
>> 
>> However, the app runs fine on a MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo running Snow Leopard 
>> and/or Lion.
>> 
>> In all cases, the app runs for Core i7 processors running either Snow 
>> Leopard and Lion.
>> 
>> The 3rd test app is available at the link below.
>> 
>>      http://dl.dropbox.com/u/14845154/Octave-X86_64-3.6.1.dmg
>> 
>> My dropbox should be synchronized in an hour or so.
>> 
>> Graphics for the 3rd attempt should be fully functional ...
>> 
>>      close all
>>      graphics_toolkit gnuplot
>>      plot (rand (3))
>>      print -dpdfwrite gnuplot.pdf
>>      graphics_toolkit fltk
>>      figure 92)
>>      peaks
>>      print -dpdfwrite fltk.pdf
>> 
>> If the above commands work, then the OpenGL, Gnuplot, and ghostscript are 
>> all working.
>> 
>> I've also tested a mkoctfile example from the manual. I'm able to compile 
>> and run "helloworld.cc" from Octave's command line.
>> 
>> The parts left to test are epstool (cropping eps bbox), fig2dev (fig and emf 
>> output), and compiling mex-files.
>> 
>> Ben
> 
> Did you still want Xcode 4.2 for snow leopard? I can use my work's ftp site. 
> Let me know and I'll post it there. plain old ftp site. I think files last 7 
> days, then vanish.
> 
> Tom

No need. I've convinced myself that the version of Xcode is the reason my 
binary won't run on Snow Leopard.

I think the proper solution is to build Octave and all its dependencies using 
Apple's gcc 4.2.x and the AT&T gfortran that is compatible.

        http://r.research.att.com/tools/

That should allow a build to target the minimum version of MacOS to be 
supported. To build a 64 bit app on Lion that will run on Snow Leopard, I think 
the options are ...

        -mmacosx-version-min=10.6 -arch x86_64

For 32 bit, Octave can be build on Lion and run on Leopard by adding the 
following options ...

        -mmacosx-version-min=10.5 -arch i386

To get everything to work properly using MacPorts, variants need to be added 
for each of MacPorts' PortFiles that Octave depends upon (variants to use 
gcc-4.2.x). I don't have time to work on that right now. 

Using Homebrew instead may be a more convenient approach. Homebrew already uses 
the gfortran patched by AT&T Research. There appear to be some problems with 
Homebrew on Lion, but I don't know the details.

Ben