Re: [Gcl-devel] Re: [Maxima] Re: GCL compliance and Bill Schelter

[Camm Maguire]

Greetings!

Adam Warner <address@hidden> writes:

> On Fri, 2003-07-25 at 09:24, Camm Maguire wrote:
> > Greetings, gentle people!
> > 
> > I must confess that I don't even have time now to adequately ponder
> > the flurry of latest emails.  I'd like to make the following points,
> > which I hope will calm and clarify.
> 
> ...
> 
> > 4) The basic confusion surrounding this discussion stems from a
> >    misunderstanding, IMHO, of how GCL (or lisp in general) works
> >    technically.  Tim basically hit the nail on the head.  I will try to
> >    summarize separately in a note to RMS, but the basic idea is that
> >    unlike in C programming, lisp executables have the entire compiler,
> >    linker, and image saver -- basically all of GCL -- in the
> >    executable itself.  I'm still not sure to what extent this is as a
> >    result of an early GCL design decision, or to what extent it is
> >    mandated by the Common Lisp standard.
> 
> Camm, having the entire compiler is necessary for the full power of Lisp
> to be available at runtime.
> 

I take it this means also the ability to link in binary object modules
into the running image.  Does it also mean the ability to dump the
memory image to a file?

> >   In any case, there is a
> >    *long* history of GCL usage in this mode, which it would be
> >    completely unfair to suddenly disrupt.  I repeat I will do all in
> >    my power to avoid this.
> 
> Great.
> 
> By the way in regard to the readline issue, one could just completely
> exorcise the readline code. rlwarp allows end-users to independently
> choose whether to "wrap" a readline interface around a product. As you
> would no longer be distributing readline at all you would no longer be
> under any obligation to GPL GCL.
> 
> This is the first time I have been aware that rlwrap is distributed with
> Debian:
> http://packages.debian.org/unstable/editors/rlwrap.html
> http://utopia.knoware.nl/~hlub/uck/rlwrap/
> http://utopia.knoware.nl/~hlub/uck/rlwrap/README.txt
> 

Thanks for this.  Will consider.  But the main issue is not readline,
but first 1) emacs unexec and then 2) libbfd.

Take care,

-- 
Camm Maguire                                            address@hidden
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