From owner-freebsd-current@FreeBSD.ORG Tue May 30 20:14:06 2006 Return-Path: X-Original-To: freebsd-current@freebsd.org Delivered-To: freebsd-current@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id D01B916AC09; Tue, 30 May 2006 20:14:06 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from sgk@troutmask.apl.washington.edu) Received: from troutmask.apl.washington.edu (troutmask.apl.washington.edu [128.208.78.105]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 2A50D43D70; Tue, 30 May 2006 20:14:06 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from sgk@troutmask.apl.washington.edu) Received: from troutmask.apl.washington.edu (localhost.apl.washington.edu [127.0.0.1]) by troutmask.apl.washington.edu (8.13.6/8.13.6) with ESMTP id k4UKDTxk069153; Tue, 30 May 2006 13:13:29 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from sgk@troutmask.apl.washington.edu) Received: (from sgk@localhost) by troutmask.apl.washington.edu (8.13.6/8.13.6/Submit) id k4UKDTut069152; Tue, 30 May 2006 13:13:29 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from sgk) Date: Tue, 30 May 2006 13:13:29 -0700 From: Steve Kargl To: Lyndon Nerenberg Message-ID: <20060530201329.GA68953@troutmask.apl.washington.edu> References: <20060527024407.GA2525@troutmask.apl.washington.edu> <447809E6.60002@samsco.org> <20060527162407.GD7307@troutmask.apl.washington.edu> <20060530020628.GC33161@dragon.NUXI.org> <20060530133411.A12000@orthanc.ca> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <20060530133411.A12000@orthanc.ca> User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.2.1i Cc: freebsd-current@freebsd.org Subject: Re: [RFC] Removal of Fortran from the base system X-BeenThere: freebsd-current@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Discussions about the use of FreeBSD-current List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 30 May 2006 20:14:17 -0000 On Tue, May 30, 2006 at 01:46:10PM -0600, Lyndon Nerenberg wrote: > >I'm saddened to see FORTRAN ripped out of the base system - and I'd > >personally do the import work if it weren't for the the extra > >dependencies GNU FORTRAN 9x requires. > > > >But 'ports/lang/gfortran' is an abomination. > > I don't know about that, but it's certainly a lot of bloat. > > This is why I alluded before to an f2c based replacement. > > The reasons against inclusion of GCC 4.1.1 Fortran involves changing (and > increased) library dependencies. An f2c based f77 replacement would > eliminate that problem while preserving functionality that has been part > of BSD for over two decades. Given the rate of change of f2c and it's > associated libraries (i.e. practically nil), the maintenance overhead > after the initial import to the base should be very small (even when the > underlying C compiler changes). The majority of the import work would be > writing a replacement f77 driver command. > See the history of Fortran in the base system. Please let f2c die. There have been substantial advances in the Fortran language over the past 3 decades. In fact, there has been 3 revision to the ISO Standard. People, who use Fortran, want speed (and correct answers), and f2c certainly isn't going to win any speed contest. PS: ports/lang/f77. -- Steve