Date: Fri, 9 Apr 1999 11:28:52 -0500 From: Glenn Johnson <gjohnson@nola.srrc.usda.gov> To: Jeremy Lea <reg@shale.csir.co.za> Cc: The Hermit Hacker <scrappy@hub.org>, Brian Handy <handy@lambic.physics.montana.edu>, Dag-Erling Smorgrav <des@flood.ping.uio.no>, obrien@NUXI.com, current@FreeBSD.ORG, hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: ATTENTION PLEASE: g77 in base system. Message-ID: <19990409112852.A14614@symbion.srrc.usda.gov> In-Reply-To: <19990409155258.A3791@shale.csir.co.za>; from Jeremy Lea on Fri, Apr 09, 1999 at 03:52:58PM %2B0200 References: <Pine.BSF.4.05.9904082056190.19556-100000@lambic.physics.montana.edu> <Pine.BSF.4.05.9904091036480.55462-100000@thelab.hub.org> <19990409155258.A3791@shale.csir.co.za>
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On Fri, Apr 09, 1999 at 03:52:58PM +0200, Jeremy Lea wrote:
> Hi,
>
> On Fri, Apr 09, 1999 at 10:37:55AM -0300, The Hermit Hacker wrote:
> > Geez, and I used to think it was only the commercial OSs that had a
> > problem with bloat and creeping featurisms ... :( Chuck's idea makes more
> > sense...how many programs does the average system run that needs a fortran
> > compiler? *raised eyebrow*
>
> I always thought the criteria for inclusion of things into the base
> system was:
>
> 1. Needed for 'make world';
> 2. Needed to get a basic functioning server up and running;
> 3. Something usefull only within FreeBSD (like the kernel ;), or
> 4. Can't be effectively built outside of /usr/src.
>
> If {g77|f77} can be built as a port, using the system EGCS, then to
> port's it goes. Otherwise why don't we include the Top 20 ports, or
> maybe the Top 25, or...
>
> Regards,
> -Jeremy
First off, g77 is not your typical port. The build of g77 depends on
having the source to gcc on your system. The last time I checked,
installing the source was optional. The reason the current port of g77
is marked broken is because of this.
History: Newer versions of g77 cannot be built against gcc 2.7.2 and
older versions that can be built against gcc 2.7.2 don't work with
FreeBSD. This is because the FreeBSD gcc 2.7.2 was hacked too far away
from what g77 was developed for.
I would expect to see the same type of scenario arise with egcs as the
FreeBSD version becomes significantly changed from stock egcs. David has
already said that "ports/egcs != src/contrib/egcs".
Future: Now it may be true that newer versions of g77 may not build
against whatever version of egcs we have but at least we would be
guaranteed of having a functional Fortran compiler.
Many people don't seem to understand that FreeBSD can be used for
workstations as well as servers and Fortran is *essential* on a
scientific/engineering workstation. I don't doubt that there are more
people using FreeBSD as a server but that doesn't mean that workstation
users should be denied an essential tool because it takes up a few
hundred kilobytes. I would predict that with SGI's entry into the NT
market you will see more people looking at "Unix on Intel" to replace
their aging SGI Irix boxes. It would be a shame for them to choose
Linux over FreeBSD because Linux can compile their Fortran programs and
FreeBSD cannot.
--
Glenn Johnson
Technician
USDA, ARS, SRRC
New Orleans, LA
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