Mac OS X

[Serge D. Mechveliani]

Dear GHC supporters,

I have received a letter from a potential DoCon user

*************************
> I've downloaded docon 2.08. I am interested in trying to build docon. 
> I'm using ghc 6.4 intalled on my 
>                                  Mac OS X machine. 
>
> I've run into an erro and it doesn't look too serious, 
> but I'm not sure exactly what to do...
>
> [..]
>
> Here is the bottom of the file log after running 
>"make space=-M90m docon >& log":
--------------------------------------------
ar -s
/Users/ruben/Documents/developer/docon-2/docon/source/export/
libHSdocon.a
echo Package {name            = "\"docon\"", import_dirs     =
["\"/Users/ruben/Documents/developer/docon-2/docon/source/export\""],
source_dirs     = [], library_dirs    =
...
/Users/ruben/Documents/developer/docon-2/docon/source/docon.conf -u -g
Creating user package database in
/Users/ruben/.ghc/powerpc-darwin-6.4/package.conf
Reading package info from stdin... ghc-pkg: Line 1: Invalid syntax (no
colon after field name)
make: *** [docon] Error 1
***********************************



I have replied with the following letter:


----------------------------------------------------
install.txt  of  docon-2.08  says:
  --------
  It was tested under the Haskell implementation  GHC-6.2.2.
  WARNING:  usually, each DoCon version works (literally as it is)
            only under a single GHC version.
  On the other hand, it is easy to port to other GHC versions.
  --------

Mind this warning. 
In particular, the usage of  ghc-pkg (`packages'),  changes rapidly 
with the GHC version.

DoCon was tested under  Linux. 
But it is intersesting to see how it will work under  Mac OS X.

Now, you could try the following alternative ways out.

(I) 
(preferable for me)
Install  ghc-6.4.1  and ask me to send you a pre-release of
docon-2.09.
In  docon-2.09 + ghc-6.4.1,  the package feature is done in a much
simpler way (it relies on the Cabal subsystem).
With other respects, docon-2.09 is like 2.08.

(II) Install  ghc-6.2.2,  as required by  install.txt of  docon-2.08,
     and try to make  docon-2.08  under  ghc-6.2.2,
     and write me about the result.
--------------------------------------------------


What is your advice, please, concerning the versions of  
ghc, ghc-pkg, Cabal,  as related  to  Mac OS X.
Have we a chance to run  
(docon-2.09, with docon.cabal) + ghc-6.4.1  under Mac OS X ?

Regards,

-----------------
Serge Mechveliani
mechvel at botik.ru