walther@econ.vu.nl (Walther Schoonenberg/10000) (05/13/91)
I have downloaded the new release of the excellent TeX Previewer (Graham Toal) from the Newcastle info-server but the program tells me my C Shared Library is 'out of date'. The !Run file specifies you need version 3.50 but I use version 3.66 !!! I do not understand this contradiction. Even if I use version 3.50 I get this 'out of date' error so I think the problem is the Previewer's problem, i.e. not Clib. The !Run file is executed succesfully, so I guess the !RunImage has some problems with CLib. Is there anyone else out there with the same problem? I mailed Graham about it but I have not received any reply (yet). By the way, for Acorn's information: CLib version 3.66 has problems with Acom, the Dutch communication package. The program dies if you use version 3.66 immediately (I have forgotten the exact error message but of course I can found out if anyone wants to know). ============================================================================== Walther Schoonenberg Vakgroep Econometrie Faculteit der Econonomische Wetenschappen en Econometrie * * * * * Vrije Universiteit * * * * De Boelelaan 1105 * * * * * 1081 HV Amsterdam * * * * The Netherlands * * * * * (020) 5483609 walther@econ.vu.nl ==============================================================================
gtoal@castle.ed.ac.uk (G Toal) (05/14/91)
In article <769@.econ.vu.nl> walther@econ.vu.nl (Walther Schoonenberg/10000) writes: > >I have downloaded the new release of the excellent TeX Previewer (Graham Toal) >from the Newcastle info-server but the program tells me my C Shared Library >is 'out of date'. The !Run file specifies you need version 3.50 but I use >version 3.66 !!! I do not understand this contradiction. Even if I use version >3.50 I get this 'out of date' error so I think the problem is the Previewer's >problem, i.e. not Clib. >The !Run file is executed succesfully, so I guess the !RunImage has some >problems with CLib. Is there anyone else out there with the same problem? I did answer, but quite often my mail from tardis seems to drop on the floor - I've got a more reliable machine to post/mail from now. As I explained synchronicitously in my last message, there have been a few cockups... However, TeX on the server comes complete with a !System and offical acorn update program which I know works (I installed it all on a wiped machine before I posted it) -- and since I paid the bucks to acorn for the license specifically to distribute clib et al with TeX, you might as well use the proper modules. Well - I say proper... shortly after posting, I got mail from Acorn saying that the current official release was now a newer version - which I'm expecting to arrive any day now. Excuse me if I'm fuzzy about version numbers; don't have the docs to hand. I suspect what I put on Newcastle was 3.65 and the offical release is 3.66 - or something like that. I dunno. G PS You've got all the sources - just click on !Make... PPS tiggr wrote the excellent bits of the previewer; I just did the drudgery :-) (And Ian Young made all the recent changes)
colin@gouldnl.encore.nl (Colin Smale) (05/21/91)
In <10234@castle.ed.ac.uk> gtoal@castle.ed.ac.uk (G Toal) writes: >In article <769@.econ.vu.nl> walther@econ.vu.nl (Walther Schoonenberg/10000) writes: >> >>I have downloaded the new release of the excellent TeX Previewer (Graham Toal) >>from the Newcastle info-server but the program tells me my C Shared Library >>is 'out of date'. The !Run file specifies you need version 3.50 but I use >>version 3.66 !!! I do not understand this contradiction. Even if I use version >>3.50 I get this 'out of date' error so I think the problem is the Previewer's >>problem, i.e. not Clib. >>The !Run file is executed succesfully, so I guess the !RunImage has some >>problems with CLib. Is there anyone else out there with the same problem? >I did answer, but quite often my mail from tardis seems to drop on the >floor - I've got a more reliable machine to post/mail from now. >As I explained synchronicitously in my last message, there have been >a few cockups... However, TeX on the server comes complete with a >!System and offical acorn update program which I know works (I >installed it all on a wiped machine before I posted it) -- and since >I paid the bucks to acorn for the license specifically to distribute >clib et al with TeX, you might as well use the proper modules. This is all very well in theory, but simply RMLOADing a new C library on the fly usually means curtains for the system if anything else is running which is using the module. As Walther points out elsewhere in his mail, version 3.66 is as sick as a parrot. It causes all kinds of problems with existing applications. I'd rather it hadn't been posted, at least in its current form. Acorn - methinks its time for a carefully thought out policy for new versions of modules, such as: 1. New versions can be beta-tested at selected sites but *must not* be relied upon by released software until such time as they are on general release; 2. Updated modules will be made available AFTER a thorough beta-test process, at which time they must be made FREELY available (with no additional licensing restrictions) or NOT AT ALL. Alan Glover has been indirectly flamed enough for the Ghostscript fiasco. This is one aimed at whoever (if anyone) does software release engineering at Acorn. Let's have a properly working C Library, backward compatible with 3.50 AND compatible with all these things which insist on 3.66, on the net, and soon! >Well - I say proper... shortly after posting, I got mail from Acorn >saying that the current official release was now a newer version - which >I'm expecting to arrive any day now. Excuse me if I'm fuzzy about >version numbers; don't have the docs to hand. I suspect what I put >on Newcastle was 3.65 and the offical release is 3.66 - or something >like that. I dunno. >G >PS You've got all the sources - just click on !Make... >PPS tiggr wrote the excellent bits of the previewer; I just did the >drudgery :-) (And Ian Young made all the recent changes)
dbell@acorn.co.uk (Dave Bell) (05/21/91)
In article <14504@gouldnl.encore.nl> colin@gouldnl.encore.nl (Colin Smale) writes: >This is all very well in theory, but simply RMLOADing a new C library on >the fly usually means curtains for the system if anything else is running >which is using the module. As Walther points out elsewhere in his mail, >version 3.66 is as sick as a parrot. It causes all kinds of problems >with existing applications. I'd rather it hadn't been posted, at least >in its current form. Acorn - methinks its time for a carefully thought >out policy for new versions of modules, such as: > > 1. New versions can be beta-tested at selected sites but > *must not* be relied upon by released software until > such time as they are on general release; > 2. Updated modules will be made available AFTER a thorough > beta-test process, at which time they must be made FREELY > available (with no additional licensing restrictions) > or NOT AT ALL. > >Alan Glover has been indirectly flamed enough for the Ghostscript >fiasco. This is one aimed at whoever (if anyone) does software release >engineering at Acorn. > >Let's have a properly working C Library, backward compatible with 3.50 >AND compatible with all these things which insist on 3.66, on the net, >and soon! > >>Well - I say proper... shortly after posting, I got mail from Acorn >>saying that the current official release was now a newer version - which >>I'm expecting to arrive any day now. Excuse me if I'm fuzzy about >>version numbers; don't have the docs to hand. I suspect what I put >>on Newcastle was 3.65 and the offical release is 3.66 - or something >>like that. I dunno. You can probably blame me for the release of CLib 3.66! It's release was a little more controlled than it may seem to you. It was provided in beta form last summer to a wide range of Developers using C to test with their applications, both new and old. Questionaires received back plus our own internal testing showed a low level of compatibility issues. One area of change involved memory management affecting one or two developers. In general, the few problems found were due to latent bugs in the applications, or misunderstandings in the use of ANSI C as a language. Late last year CLib 3.66 was released "for Developer distribution only" so that we could continue to audit any problems that Developers or their customers might have. In the event, problems reported have been virtually nil, hence the opening up of distribution now to a wider audience. I am still not aware of any real problems. Rumoured problems cannot be followed-up. We need to know FROM THE APPLICATIONS WRITER (not the end-user because we don't have the full picture) of any issue with CLib 3.66 or whatever. In summary, yes we do audit code quite thoroughly prior to release, and in the case of shared or other critical resource (eg CLib) we have a controlled release phase prior to full release. CLib 3.66 is the current release (I use it in my machine). I assume you have read the Release Note and Read-me file that comes with the code itself? Hope this helps. We do try! David Bell Support Group Manager