Re: [MacPerl-Porters] Extensions Binary Compatibility

[Paul Schinder <schinder@pobox.com>]

At 12:53 PM -0300 4/22/00, Arved Sandstrom wrote:
>Just built Perl 5.6 a while back on Linux, and it occurred to me that we
>won't have any binary compatibility between existing extensions (on CPAN and
>MMP) that are built with MacPerl 5.004, and the new MacPerl based on 5.6. Or
>any that we do have will be fortuitous, to put it mildly.
>
>Is this the case, in fact? It seems a reasonable proposition if enough of
>the C guts of Perl has changed, which it has.

I believe that's true.  You get binary compatibility with 5.005, but 
not with 5.004.  I know there was some reason why I completely blew 
away my 5.004_05 installation on my HP-UX machine when I upgraded it 
to 5.6.0, and I think that was it.

>
>If this _is_ the case, how shall we address it? Publicize an easy build
>procedure based on MPW compilers for extensions not to be included in the
>new MacPerl distro?

IMHO, that would be the best solution if it can be done.

>And will all new builds for MMP/CPAN be for 5.6 by fiat?

That's going to depend on the people who build them, of course.  I 
know I don't keep old versions of Perl around, only the current 
production version and occasionally a developer's version.  Once 
MacPerl 5.6.0 comes out officially, I'll toss 5.20r4.

>How would we identify existing builds as being for 5.004, or do we just
>remove them and abandon extensions support for the older version? Questions,
>questions... :-)


Actually, I've been curious about the fate of 5.004.  I know there's 
a pumpking, but why do we need three supported versions of Perl (plus 
the 5.7.x development series)?  I haven't seen Chip say anything 
about the fate of 5.004 on p5p yet, so I don't know what the plans 
are.  It's up to Matthias, of course, but if Perl 5.004 is still 
supported, it might still be wise to offer some support for 5.20r4. 
If 5.004 is abandoned, then I'd say 5.20r4 should be, too.

>
>Arved Sandstrom
>

-- 
--
Paul Schinder
schinder@pobox.com

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