[m-users.] users Digest, Vol 127, Issue 8

Zetian Lin zaaktin.lam at outlook.com
Sun Dec 14 13:09:34 AEDT 2025
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> I've installed Arch Linux under WSL and I'm trying to install Mercury
> using the instructions at  Mercury packages for .deb based systems

Arch user here. You normally don't use instructions for .deb for Arch.
There is no official package for Mercury in the Arch package repository,
but there *is* a user provided config in the AUR that you can install
by running these commands:

git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/mercury.git aur-mercury
cd aur-mercury
makepkg -si

This is basically the same as pulling down the source code and build
it yourself w/ the additional benefit of it being registered w/ the package
manager. By default it only has asm_fast configured; to add more you
would need to edit the PKGBUILD file after `git clone` before `makepkg`.


> You can bootstrap the compiler the way it's intended by the developers. That
> isn't that hard.

Second this...


Z Lin

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Sent: Saturday, December 13, 2025 21:32
To: users at lists.mercurylang.org
Subject: users Digest, Vol 127, Issue 8

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Today's Topics:

   1. Re: I'm back and I need help! (Volker Wysk)
   2. Re: I'm back and I need help! (Fabrice Nicol)
   3. Re: I'm back and I need help! (Mark Brown)


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Sat, 13 Dec 2025 14:19:46 +0100
From: Volker Wysk <post at volker-wysk.de>
To: users at lists.mercurylang.org
Subject: Re: [m-users.] I'm back and I need help!
Message-ID:
        <82e9495ede5599eaceed36a2a2e3ce9981f3bd6f.camel at volker-wysk.de>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

Hi, Fabrice, Ralph

I've tried the Docker image, four months ago. I found it very confusing at
first. Please note that you will have your entire development environment
inside the container, when you choose to do it this way.

You can copy your compiled program out of the container and use it outside,
if you have linked it statically.

I had tried to set things up, such that only the compiler is inside and the
source code and the generated files are outside. This can be done with a
bind mount inside-outside of the container. But that didn't work
satisfactorily.

About Fabrice's suggestion to bootstrap the compile by using the docker
image, I'm not so confident that this will work easily. You need to
understand Docker images for that.

You can bootstrap the compiler the way it's intended by the developers. That
isn't that hard.

Hope this helps,
Volker

Am Samstag, dem 13.12.2025 um 13:53 +0100 schrieb Fabrice Nicol:
> If you are comfortable with using Docker there is also a working ROTD
> image dating back from about a month. It is normally updated daily to
> current ROTD.
> https://github.com/fabnicol/ubuntu4mercury
>
> You can use this image to possibly bootstrap a build from recent source
> code, should you meet problems doing so directly (this has been recently
> tested).
>
> Fabrice Nicol
> NB: For about a month the GitHub Actions process has been failing owing to
> memory overload. I will have to streamline the build a little for it
> continue working.
>
>
> Le sam. 13 déc. 2025, 13:42, David Overton <david at overtons.id.au> a
> écrit :
> > Welcome back Ralph. I also have recently (well last year) returned to
> > Mercury after a couple of decades away.
> > Prince builds are using an ROTD from last February, this one in
> > particular:
> > https://github.com/Mercury-Language/mercury-srcdist/releases/tag/rotd-2024-02-27
> > So installing that ROTD from source may be a good place to start.
> >
> > David
> >
> >
> > On Sat, 13 Dec 2025 at 17:34, Paul Bone <paul at bone.id.au> wrote:
> > >
> > > Yes, the right thing to do would be install from source.
> > >
> > > As you noticed, those packages & instructions are for .deb based
> > > systems, and that's not Arch, it's Debian and Ubuntu.
> > >
> > > Good to see you again, good luck!
> > >
> > > On Sat, 13 Dec 2025, at 3:47 PM, Ralph Becket wrote:
> > > > Hi everybody,
> > > >
> > > > After nearly a couple of decades using C# in industry, it looks like
> > > > I'm coming back to Mercury!
> > > >
> > > > I'm trying to install Mercury under WSL on my home Windows box and
> > > > I'm getting nowhere.  (Please forgive me if I come across a touch
> > > > Forest Gump: even back in the day I only had half a clue about Linux
> > > > admin.)  If anyone can offer advice, I'd be most grateful.  I've
> > > > installed Arch Linux under WSL and I'm trying to install Mercury
> > > > using the instructions at  Mercury packages for .deb based systems
> > > >
> > > > Now Arch, it seems, uses something called 'pacman' to install
> > > > things, whereas the instructions refer to 'apt'.  Okay, so
> > > >
> > > >  * I install 'apt', edit /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mercury.list to
> > > > include
> > > >
> > > > deb http://dl.mercurylang.org/deb/ DISTRO main
> > > >  deb-src http://dl.mercurylang.org/deb/ DISTRO main
> > > >
> > > >  * I run the weird GPG thing that the document tells me to do
> > > >
> > > >  * I run 'apt update' and then...
> > > > [root at Herbert tmp]# apt update
> > > > Ign:1 http://dl.mercurylang.org/deb DISTRO InRelease
> > > > Err:2 http://dl.mercurylang.org/deb DISTRO Release
> > > >   404  Not Found [IP: 45.56.89.38 80]
> > > > Error: The repository 'http://dl.mercurylang.org/deb DISTRO Release'
> > > > does not have a Release file.
> > > > Notice: Updating from such a repository can't be done securely, and
> > > > is therefore disabled by default.
> > > > Notice: See apt-secure(8) manpage for repository creation and user
> > > > configuration details.
> > > > Notice: Missing Signed-By in the sources.list(5) entry for
> > > > 'http://dl.mercurylang.org/deb'
> > > >
> > > > At this point I'm so far down the rabbit hole of Things I Don't Care
> > > > About While Recovering From The Flu that I'm here to call for help.
> > > >
> > > > Is the right thing to do now to try installing from the sources
> > > > instead?
> > > >
> > > > Anyway, looking forward to re-connecting with everyone again!
> > > >
> > > > Cheers,
> > > > Ralph
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > users mailing list
> > > > users at lists.mercurylang.org
> > > > https://lists.mercurylang.org/listinfo/users
> > > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > users mailing list
> > > users at lists.mercurylang.org
> > > https://lists.mercurylang.org/listinfo/users
> > _______________________________________________
> > users mailing list
> > users at lists.mercurylang.org
> > https://lists.mercurylang.org/listinfo/users
> _______________________________________________
> users mailing list
> users at lists.mercurylang.org
> https://lists.mercurylang.org/listinfo/users


------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Sat, 13 Dec 2025 14:41:05 +0100
From: Fabrice Nicol <fabrnicol at gmail.com>
To: Volker Wysk <post at volker-wysk.de>, users
        <users at lists.mercurylang.org>
Subject: Re: [m-users.] I'm back and I need help!
Message-ID:
        <CANTSrJu3zejFm=FRrqVFa5aqLM4-AOHDpPgOjgnNNJ71VwbC7g at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Yes, Volker, the Docker image fosters an integrated approach in which your
environment is within the image. It's the only way, with static linking, to
avoid dependency nightmares and quickly get something that "just works" as
Linus says.
This is why there is an Emacs build in the image and a handful of common
developer dependencies.
Also, Mercury builds are more often than not static builds, unless there
are external dynamic libraries used, which often causes pain at deployment
stage. I tend to statically build as much as possible and then copy the
build out of the image, which is super easy to do.
FN

Le sam. 13 déc. 2025, 14:19, Volker Wysk <post at volker-wysk.de> a écrit :

> Hi, Fabrice, Ralph
>
> I've tried the Docker image, four months ago. I found it very confusing at
> first. Please note that you will have your entire development environment
> inside the container, when you choose to do it this way.
>
> You can copy your compiled program out of the container and use it outside,
> if you have linked it statically.
>
> I had tried to set things up, such that only the compiler is inside and the
> source code and the generated files are outside. This can be done with a
> bind mount inside-outside of the container. But that didn't work
> satisfactorily.
>
> About Fabrice's suggestion to bootstrap the compile by using the docker
> image, I'm not so confident that this will work easily. You need to
> understand Docker images for that.
>
> You can bootstrap the compiler the way it's intended by the developers.
> That
> isn't that hard.
>
> Hope this helps,
> Volker
>
> Am Samstag, dem 13.12.2025 um 13:53 +0100 schrieb Fabrice Nicol:
> > If you are comfortable with using Docker there is also a working ROTD
> > image dating back from about a month. It is normally updated daily to
> > current ROTD.
> > https://github.com/fabnicol/ubuntu4mercury
> >
> > You can use this image to possibly bootstrap a build from recent source
> > code, should you meet problems doing so directly (this has been recently
> > tested).
> >
> > Fabrice Nicol
> > NB: For about a month the GitHub Actions process has been failing owing
> to
> > memory overload. I will have to streamline the build a little for it
> > continue working.
> >
> >
> > Le sam. 13 déc. 2025, 13:42, David Overton <david at overtons.id.au> a
> > écrit :
> > > Welcome back Ralph. I also have recently (well last year) returned to
> > > Mercury after a couple of decades away.
> > > Prince builds are using an ROTD from last February, this one in
> > > particular:
> > >
> https://github.com/Mercury-Language/mercury-srcdist/releases/tag/rotd-2024-02-27
> > > So installing that ROTD from source may be a good place to start.
> > >
> > > David
> > >
> > >
> > > On Sat, 13 Dec 2025 at 17:34, Paul Bone <paul at bone.id.au> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Yes, the right thing to do would be install from source.
> > > >
> > > > As you noticed, those packages & instructions are for .deb based
> > > > systems, and that's not Arch, it's Debian and Ubuntu.
> > > >
> > > > Good to see you again, good luck!
> > > >
> > > > On Sat, 13 Dec 2025, at 3:47 PM, Ralph Becket wrote:
> > > > > Hi everybody,
> > > > >
> > > > > After nearly a couple of decades using C# in industry, it looks
> like
> > > > > I'm coming back to Mercury!
> > > > >
> > > > > I'm trying to install Mercury under WSL on my home Windows box and
> > > > > I'm getting nowhere.  (Please forgive me if I come across a touch
> > > > > Forest Gump: even back in the day I only had half a clue about
> Linux
> > > > > admin.)  If anyone can offer advice, I'd be most grateful.  I've
> > > > > installed Arch Linux under WSL and I'm trying to install Mercury
> > > > > using the instructions at  Mercury packages for .deb based systems
> > > > >
> > > > > Now Arch, it seems, uses something called 'pacman' to install
> > > > > things, whereas the instructions refer to 'apt'.  Okay, so
> > > > >
> > > > >  * I install 'apt', edit /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mercury.list to
> > > > > include
> > > > >
> > > > > deb http://dl.mercurylang.org/deb/ DISTRO main
> > > > >  deb-src http://dl.mercurylang.org/deb/ DISTRO main
> > > > >
> > > > >  * I run the weird GPG thing that the document tells me to do
> > > > >
> > > > >  * I run 'apt update' and then...
> > > > > [root at Herbert tmp]# apt update
> > > > > Ign:1 http://dl.mercurylang.org/deb DISTRO InRelease
> > > > > Err:2 http://dl.mercurylang.org/deb DISTRO Release
> > > > >   404  Not Found [IP: 45.56.89.38 80]
> > > > > Error: The repository 'http://dl.mercurylang.org/deb DISTRO
> Release'
> > > > > does not have a Release file.
> > > > > Notice: Updating from such a repository can't be done securely, and
> > > > > is therefore disabled by default.
> > > > > Notice: See apt-secure(8) manpage for repository creation and user
> > > > > configuration details.
> > > > > Notice: Missing Signed-By in the sources.list(5) entry for
> > > > > 'http://dl.mercurylang.org/deb'
> > > > >
> > > > > At this point I'm so far down the rabbit hole of Things I Don't
> Care
> > > > > About While Recovering From The Flu that I'm here to call for help.
> > > > >
> > > > > Is the right thing to do now to try installing from the sources
> > > > > instead?
> > > > >
> > > > > Anyway, looking forward to re-connecting with everyone again!
> > > > >
> > > > > Cheers,
> > > > > Ralph
> > > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > > users mailing list
> > > > > users at lists.mercurylang.org
> > > > > https://lists.mercurylang.org/listinfo/users
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > users mailing list
> > > > users at lists.mercurylang.org
> > > > https://lists.mercurylang.org/listinfo/users
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > users mailing list
> > > users at lists.mercurylang.org
> > > https://lists.mercurylang.org/listinfo/users
> > _______________________________________________
> > users mailing list
> > users at lists.mercurylang.org
> > https://lists.mercurylang.org/listinfo/users
> _______________________________________________
> users mailing list
> users at lists.mercurylang.org
> https://lists.mercurylang.org/listinfo/users
>
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------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Sun, 14 Dec 2025 08:32:19 +1100
From: Mark Brown <mark at mercurylang.org>
To: Volker Wysk <post at volker-wysk.de>
Cc: users at lists.mercurylang.org
Subject: Re: [m-users.] I'm back and I need help!
Message-ID:
        <CAM4AczB4S8jTUTAW6jVvWo+NN+dyHJXgGN1QVn0Y2DAUDOezeg at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

Hi all,

On Sun, Dec 14, 2025 at 12:19 AM Volker Wysk <post at volker-wysk.de> wrote:
> I've tried the Docker image, four months ago. I found it very confusing at
> first. Please note that you will have your entire development environment
> inside the container, when you choose to do it this way.
>
> You can copy your compiled program out of the container and use it outside,
> if you have linked it statically.
>
> I had tried to set things up, such that only the compiler is inside and the
> source code and the generated files are outside. This can be done with a
> bind mount inside-outside of the container. But that didn't work
> satisfactorily.

For work I use docker with a bind mount, so the development
environment (git, vim, custom scripts, etc) is outside the container.
I usually have a terminal open that is attached to the container, from
where I can run builds and regression tests. You can also run things
in a container via the docker command-line, so you can do that in
custom scripts if needed.

>
> About Fabrice's suggestion to bootstrap the compile by using the docker
> image, I'm not so confident that this will work easily. You need to
> understand Docker images for that.
>
> You can bootstrap the compiler the way it's intended by the developers. That
> isn't that hard.

Yes, I also do it this way and I find it to be the easiest install. It
doesn't take all that long on modern hardware. The main advantage of
docker is that I get the same development environment as other people
on that team.

Cheers,
Mark

P.S. Most of the messages in this thread haven't reached me, though I
can see them in the archives.

>
> Hope this helps,
> Volker
>
> Am Samstag, dem 13.12.2025 um 13:53 +0100 schrieb Fabrice Nicol:
> > If you are comfortable with using Docker there is also a working ROTD
> > image dating back from about a month. It is normally updated daily to
> > current ROTD.
> > https://github.com/fabnicol/ubuntu4mercury
> >
> > You can use this image to possibly bootstrap a build from recent source
> > code, should you meet problems doing so directly (this has been recently
> > tested).
> >
> > Fabrice Nicol
> > NB: For about a month the GitHub Actions process has been failing owing to
> > memory overload. I will have to streamline the build a little for it
> > continue working.
> >
> >
> > Le sam. 13 déc. 2025, 13:42, David Overton <david at overtons.id.au> a
> > écrit :
> > > Welcome back Ralph. I also have recently (well last year) returned to
> > > Mercury after a couple of decades away.
> > > Prince builds are using an ROTD from last February, this one in
> > > particular:
> > > https://github.com/Mercury-Language/mercury-srcdist/releases/tag/rotd-2024-02-27
> > > So installing that ROTD from source may be a good place to start.
> > >
> > > David
> > >
> > >
> > > On Sat, 13 Dec 2025 at 17:34, Paul Bone <paul at bone.id.au> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Yes, the right thing to do would be install from source.
> > > >
> > > > As you noticed, those packages & instructions are for .deb based
> > > > systems, and that's not Arch, it's Debian and Ubuntu.
> > > >
> > > > Good to see you again, good luck!
> > > >
> > > > On Sat, 13 Dec 2025, at 3:47 PM, Ralph Becket wrote:
> > > > > Hi everybody,
> > > > >
> > > > > After nearly a couple of decades using C# in industry, it looks like
> > > > > I'm coming back to Mercury!
> > > > >
> > > > > I'm trying to install Mercury under WSL on my home Windows box and
> > > > > I'm getting nowhere.  (Please forgive me if I come across a touch
> > > > > Forest Gump: even back in the day I only had half a clue about Linux
> > > > > admin.)  If anyone can offer advice, I'd be most grateful.  I've
> > > > > installed Arch Linux under WSL and I'm trying to install Mercury
> > > > > using the instructions at  Mercury packages for .deb based systems
> > > > >
> > > > > Now Arch, it seems, uses something called 'pacman' to install
> > > > > things, whereas the instructions refer to 'apt'.  Okay, so
> > > > >
> > > > >  * I install 'apt', edit /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mercury.list to
> > > > > include
> > > > >
> > > > > deb http://dl.mercurylang.org/deb/ DISTRO main
> > > > >  deb-src http://dl.mercurylang.org/deb/ DISTRO main
> > > > >
> > > > >  * I run the weird GPG thing that the document tells me to do
> > > > >
> > > > >  * I run 'apt update' and then...
> > > > > [root at Herbert tmp]# apt update
> > > > > Ign:1 http://dl.mercurylang.org/deb DISTRO InRelease
> > > > > Err:2 http://dl.mercurylang.org/deb DISTRO Release
> > > > >   404  Not Found [IP: 45.56.89.38 80]
> > > > > Error: The repository 'http://dl.mercurylang.org/deb DISTRO Release'
> > > > > does not have a Release file.
> > > > > Notice: Updating from such a repository can't be done securely, and
> > > > > is therefore disabled by default.
> > > > > Notice: See apt-secure(8) manpage for repository creation and user
> > > > > configuration details.
> > > > > Notice: Missing Signed-By in the sources.list(5) entry for
> > > > > 'http://dl.mercurylang.org/deb'
> > > > >
> > > > > At this point I'm so far down the rabbit hole of Things I Don't Care
> > > > > About While Recovering From The Flu that I'm here to call for help.
> > > > >
> > > > > Is the right thing to do now to try installing from the sources
> > > > > instead?
> > > > >
> > > > > Anyway, looking forward to re-connecting with everyone again!
> > > > >
> > > > > Cheers,
> > > > > Ralph
> > > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > > users mailing list
> > > > > users at lists.mercurylang.org
> > > > > https://lists.mercurylang.org/listinfo/users
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > users mailing list
> > > > users at lists.mercurylang.org
> > > > https://lists.mercurylang.org/listinfo/users
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > users mailing list
> > > users at lists.mercurylang.org
> > > https://lists.mercurylang.org/listinfo/users
> > _______________________________________________
> > users mailing list
> > users at lists.mercurylang.org
> > https://lists.mercurylang.org/listinfo/users
> _______________________________________________
> users mailing list
> users at lists.mercurylang.org
> https://lists.mercurylang.org/listinfo/users


------------------------------

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