[m-rev.] for review: Add a `pregen' grade component.

[Julien Fischer]

On Wed, Mar 20, 2013 at 2:37 PM, Peter Wang <novalazy at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Wed, 20 Mar 2013 11:32:57 +1100, Julien Fischer <jfischer at opturion.com> wrote:
>> On Wed, Mar 20, 2013 at 11:31 AM, Paul Bone <paul at bone.id.au> wrote:
>> > On Wed, Mar 20, 2013 at 11:19:42AM +1100, Julien Fischer wrote:
>> >> On Tue, Mar 19, 2013 at 3:16 PM, Peter Wang <novalazy at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >>
>> >> >> > During installation, if required, the pre-generated C source files are
>> >> >> > used to build and install a Mercury compiler _in a .pregen grade_.
>> >> >> > Then it is used to install the libraries _in non-.pregen grades_,
>> >> >> > so that configured settings have their usual effect.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> That of course presupposes that the pregen version of the compiler is
>> >> >> statically linked against the Mercury libraries (i.e.
>> >> >> --mercury-linkage=static).  It's probably not worth supporting a pregen version
>> >> >> of the Mercury compiler that is linked against the shared version of the Mercury
>> >> >> libraries.
>> >> >
>> >> > This change doesn't yet block installation of the .pregen grade,
>> >> > so that should actually work for now.
>> >>
>> >> Could we install just the pregen version of the library with
>> >> --enable-minimal-install?
>> >> It's not as though you actually use a --enable-minimal-install version
>> >> of the compiler
>> >> for anything other than bootstrapping a new Mercury anyway.
>> >
>> > Not true.  Our users are interested in 'just trying Mercury'.  If they can
>> > get installed quickly via --enable-minimal-install then they'll do this just
>> > so they can try Mercury.
>
> I've been using it just because it's shorter to type than
> --enable-libgrades=asm_fast.gc and gets tab completed.
>
>> Installing just the pregen grade is not going to prevent anyone from just
>> trying Mercury either.  Mind you, my intention when I added it was that
>> it was intended for bootstrapping.  And that's exactly what the documentation
>> for it says:
>>
>> #          The option --enable-minimal-install will install only the minimal
>> #          system that is required in order to bootstrap the Mercury compiler.
>>
>
> I would prefer to prevent use of the pregen grade, even accidentally.

Fair enough, that's fine by me.

Cheers,
Julien.