Mark Lentczner wrote: > I'm wondering how we are all feeling about the platform these days.... > > I notice that in the new Haskell pages, the Platform is definitely not the > recommended way to go: The main download pages suggests the compiler and > base libraries as the first option - and the text for the Platform (second > option) pretty much steers folks away from it. Of the per-OS download > pages, only the Windows version even mentions it. > > Does this mean that we don't want to consider continuing with it? It is a > lot of community effort to put out a Platform release - we shouldn't do it > if we don't really want it. > > That said, I note that the other ways to "officially get" Haskell look, to > my eye, very ad hoc. Many of the options involve multiple steps, and > exactly what one is getting isn't clear. It hardly looks like there is now > an "official, correct" way to setup Haskell. > > The Platform arose in an era before sandboxes and before curated library > sets like Stackage and LTS. Last time we set direction was several years > ago. These new features and development have clearly changed the landscape > for use to reconsider what to do. > > > I don't think the status quo for the Platform is now viable - mostly as > evidenced by waning interest in maintaining it. I offer several ways we > could proceed: > > *1) Abandon the Platform.* GHC is release in source and binary form. Other > package various installers, with more or less things, for various OSes. > > *2) Slim the Platform.* Pare it back to GHC + base + a smaller set of > "essential" libs + tools. Keeps a consistent build layout and installation > mechanism for Haskell. > > *3) Re-conceive the Platform.* Take a very minimal install approach, > coupled with close integration with a curated library set that makes it > easy to have a rich canonical, stable environment. This was the core idea > around my "GPS Haskell" thoughts from last September - but there would be > much to work out in this direction. > > Thoughts?
Thanks a lot for your hard work on the platform! I myself am an avid user of the platform (OS X), because for me, it's the easiest way to install Haskell on a new machine; I just did so the other day. The only time when the platform seems to be a handicap is when a new version of GHC is being released and I would have to update my packages. Usually, I don't test them with the new version and rely on pull requests instead. Best regards, Heinrich Apfelmus -- http://apfelmus.nfshost.com _______________________________________________ haskell-infrastructure mailing list [email protected] http://community.galois.com/mailman/listinfo/haskell-infrastructure
