Re: Adding stuff to the core distro (was Re: Infix syntax)

[Daniel Skarda]

Bill Gribble <address@hidden> writes: 
> I have an actual client who I am actually delivering a guile application
> running on a Compaq iPaq running Linux

  Oops! If I had read this email before I started to shout in my previous
today's email that there are no such Guile users ... I am sorry for that
(next time I have to read all mails before I reply...)

  OK. What guile features you consider essential for your application?
How would you split Guile into packages? BTW - why you chose Guile?

  I do not know the world of Compaq iPaq running Linux, which tools you use
to manage packages. I guess that this world differs a lot from average
desktop and you have to create all packages with special care. 
  
  I see that one can not shape Guile to fit perfectly to any particular
application (mine or anybody else) and its requirements... It is always in the
middle. One can not ask Linus to exclude XY support from kernel distribution,
because he do not use it and find it bloatware.

>  I'd like to be able to pick and choose which pieces of
> guile library functionality I need to install on a target platform --

  Yes, that would be nice and really helpful for wider acceptance of Guile in
small environments. 

>  It's a very small platform, and if I have to pull in every SRFI, an Emacs
> debugger interface, and all of the Gnome and Gtk libraries to install guile,
> that's a problem for me.

  On the other hand, if you want to follow Guile development... :-)
 
> Personally, I have been using debian for so long that I don't want to
> follow anything in CVS unless I'm hacking on it myself.  

  Suppose you write big application - it will take you few years before you
finish it. At the time you release your application, there will be already new
Guile version. 

  If you stick to stable Guile version, you gain stability, but you can not
change anything in Guile - even though something is really clumsy or you have to
do nasty tricks to reach your goals (but that's dangerous from long-term POV).

  On the other hand you will port your application to new version anyway, so
why not to follow CVS development? You can help Guile developers to debug Guile
development version, you may warn them when you find some interface awkward or
you miss some feature.

  It is hard to choose the way - each one has it cons and pros. I chose the
second way so I am looking how to make it easier and secure.

0.