[fluxus] osX-plt {non}progress

[Dave Griffiths]

> Dave Griffiths wrote:
>>> well, ive got to the point that the plt_scheme branch compiles and
>>> links
>>> ok on os x, but unfortunatly the binary does nothing when it runs.
>>> ecxept
>>> possibly crash quietly to itself.. .
>>
>> you might have got further than you thought - that's probably a scheme
>> error in the startup scripts, I managed to redirect errors into the void
>> during startup in the last commit... I have the fix but haven't
>> committed
>> it yet.
>
> some feedback, however spurious would definalty help. i also tried running
> startup.scm in DrScheme, to check for errors there, but it seems to load.
>
> would you be able to send/commit the example using a MrEd canvas some
> time?

Sure, I'll include it in the next batch of commits. fwiw I only have minor
things left on my todo list for the plt version. I hope to get a beta
availible quite soon, and then work on the docs before a proper release.
It might be easier to see what's going on when things have stabilised a
little bit.

>>> since im not going to have much time to spend on fluxus in the near
>>> future, i thought id at least mention that in getting this far (which,
>>> admittedly, isnt so far..) i managed to leave scons with its head
>>> underwater for too long, and dredged up an autotools skeleton ->
>>> Makefile.in and configure.in attatched.
>>>
>>> instructions, if anyone is interested (and once dave stops gnashing his
>>> teeth..)
>>
>> hmm :)
>>
>> is autoconf easier on osx?
>
> not sure about 'easier' as they are both awkward in their own ways, yet i
> was actually surprised at how little head scratching was required for
> getting the autotools setup working.
>
>> what were the scons problems?
>
> for whatever reason, scons either wouldnt find libs, or would garble the
> gcc flags in not so exciting ways.
>
> i also thought it would be 'easier' to have a single way of dealing with
> all the various aspects of the gradually extending fluxus (eg. binary,
> docs, os x univeral binary, plt-modules, etc, etc+)

That's what the sconscripts are supposed to do :( It's working (here at
least) as one command for building and installing the app, plt binary
modules and installing the scheme script plt modules. With a little
extension it would be able to build and install the docs too.

I'll have a look at the autotools though, maybe we should switch, I'm
pretty agnostic when it comes to building tools. Initially I prefered
scons as python is easier for me than whatever autotools uses (M4?).

cheers,

dave