From: mib@geech.gnu.ai.mit.edu (Michael I Bushnell)
Subject: Re: Making Mach build with non-CMU tools (suggestions)
Followup-To: gnu.misc.discuss
Organization: Free Software Foundation, Cambridge, MA
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1992 18:57:34 GMT

In article <STEINARB.92Oct4172851@hagtorn.idt.unit.no> steinarb@idt.unit.no (Steinar Bang) writes:

   I am not alone in having this problem. It is a problem for everybody
   who is trying to work with the Mach code without having a BSD source
   license. It also has to be a problem for the FSF. They would seem to
   need an OS kernel that can be configured and compiled without a BSD
   license.

We use Mach on a machine (without Unix source on it) that is loaned to
us (with many thanks) by the Open Software Foundation.  (Anyone who
wants to loan equipment, please do.  We can virtually always use the
machines.)  When we have the Hurd running, we will be able to do
without the loan, but until then, that's what we use.

   I am aware of the GNUMach source. I have noted, however, that the
   changes to the Makefiles have not been merged into the CMU Mach
   release, which makes me suspect that this is a quick hack to get the
   stuff to compile. In addition this version of the microkernel is MK68,
   while the current release is MK78 (I think), which makes me suspect
   that changing the Makefiles is enough of a job that it is difficult to
   keep in sync with the releases from CMU.

Changing the Makefiles isn't too tough: took me about 15 minutes to
update to MK78.  On the other hand, updating the tar file on
alpha.gnu.ai.mit.edu takes significantly longer--which is why the tar
is stoll MK68.  I will update it today.  I promise.  

   I have the following suggestions to remedy this problem:

    1. Change GNU Make to support the same facilities as CMU Make
    2. Do the changes necessary to the CMU Makefiles to make them work
       with the ODE Make (or the GNU Make for that matter), and nicely
       ask CMU to start using these Makefiles in their distribution.

   Suggestion 2 is the most desirable solution. It is however a biiig
   job. It is not "fun" enough that anyone ever is likely to sit down and
   do it for free, which means that some company or organization will
   have to pay someone to do the work.

   The question: is who is going to do it? CMU don't have any incentives
   for the time being. OSF? FSF? I don't know.

The copy of Mach that you get with GNU will always be compilable on
GNU.  It would be nice if that meant that we could use the CMU
makefiles, but it isn't essential.  We will endeavor to make sure that
the actual source files are not different between the GNU distribution
of Mach and the CMU distribution.

Modifying GNU make to have the CMU make features is not going to
happen; ask Roland McGrath for the hairy details of why.  If CMU
decides to use our Makefiles, that's great--but it isn't worth much.
Our makefiles need to be conformant to the GNU Coding Standards, and
CMU's will probably never be.  Our system will, eventually, use
`configure' and so forth--CMU will not.  Don't look for this to
change.

And now, I'm off to update the source on alpha.gnu.ai.mit.edu.  


--
Michael I. Bushnell            Gaude, virgo, salutata Gabriele nuntio.
+1 617 625 4518 (H)      |     Gaude, mater jucundata Jesu puerperio.
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Newsgroups: gnu.misc.discuss,comp.sys.mac.advocacy