On 23 Feb 1999 00:24:16 +0900, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>"Arnd Hanses" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
>> I personally would be too lazy for that, just add 'sh.exe' (which you
>> already need for stability of X/2 with many apps) and use bourne shell
>> scripts.
>
>This is NOT an easy solution at all. The file system is different,
>there are multiple drives, no symbolic/hard links. Maintaining
>shell scripts for compatibility can be more of headache, especially
>some of them are automatically macro expanded on UNIX systems.
I see, this would mean additional autoconf and handmade fixing,
remaining bugs would be very hard to find. And I agree, fixing e.g. the
search paths with sh-script would have been more difficult.
>> But H.Veit, SMiyata and others who like REXX more would
>> strongly disagree here....
>
>You are distorting the argument. It is not a matter of taste.
Please do not understand me wrong: I have no doubt that there are sound
reasons for what one likes here.
>You cannot expect users to install what might be needed just for
>you. If you impose on users to turn the systems into 100% UNIX
>clone, there would be no reason to port softwares: You would be
>better off choosing a system which suits your need more.
To just add 'sh.exe' (which is really needed by the majority of users
for stability, I think) is not so much 100% UNIX.
>Currently LyX on OS/2 relies on the existance of
> emx runtime, XFree86, xforms (naturally)
> LaTeX2e (to generate non empty textclass.lst)
> sed (to run configure.cmd)
>All the others are optional. I think this is a reasonable
>requirement.
>Notice it is not a solution to bundle everything with LyX and
>make it into a bloatware, either.
Certainly this is a problem. Less stability because of missing
(optional) dependencies is another problem. I think the inevitable
problem here is the necessary UNIX-like environment. You will need many
not so evident things, just to avoid hardly foreseeable bugs. Also
testing and debugging in a nonstandard environment will always be very
difficult, as there may be any kind of different interdependencies and
possible conflicts.
(Only for illustration: Just try to set up a 'bare' XFree/2 system with
a few X apps and a minimal LyX/2 configuration. Even trying to read the
man page may then end up in a disaster for new users. So this is where
the bloat is coming from.)
Finding here the right balance would be the art. I see only two better
alternatives:
1) 100% PM/WPS (0% UNIX; but I fear this often means more rewriting
from scratch than porting).
2) Trying to define a standard X/2 environment for a set of standard
apps balancing bloat and stability. This would be the reliability
tested platform. [50% UNIX]
Otherwise working will be very difficult especially for new users, who
will encounter many confusing bugs and problems. A 'bare' bloatfree
system without additional options would be more of an alternative for
experienced users, who know about possible problems and how to work
around them.
So I will play here the part of an 'newbie' advocate, which IMO is
necessary from time to time. Any other opinion welcome.
Best regards,
A. Hanses
