Bootstrapping with HC files

[Duncan Coutts]

On Mon, 2005-12-12 at 18:20 +0000, Andrew Walrond wrote:
> I run a source based linux distro called Heretix, and I want to make a ghc 
> package which will install with or without an existing ghc. At the moment, we 
> supply a binary-ghc package, whch is a prerequisite of the from-source ghc 
> package.

When we first added ghc to gentoo we considered doing an hc build but
decided against it in the end. We now just do what you currently do,
that is provide a binary package as a dependency of the source package.

The ghc build system doesn't easily support hc builds and my impression
is that it would take quite a bit of effort on the part of the ghc
developers to improve the support for that kind of build. Given that it
is quite a bit of work and there are simple workarounds (ie use a binary
package) it has not been a high priority.

Changing the build system tends to be the kind of task that can only be
done by core developers and it is these developers whose time is most
valuably spent on other tasks.

So I think you're unlikely to get the changes you're looking for. My
advice is to just stick to the binary bootstrap method.

Duncan