Haskell Platform 2014 build problems on OS X

Hello! I just want to point to your attention this issue of Homebrew: https://github.com/Homebrew/homebrew/issues/31609 It seems that they’re forced to remove the formula for the Haskell Platform because, it seems, the build process has become extremely complicated and they can’t figure out how to automate it. Is there someone that know enough internals of the platform to help them or to give some advice? Thanks, Nicola

fwiw, instead of waiting for this I created a new set of formulas (based on
the stock homebrew one). The main difference is that I created one formula
for each version since I want to be able to switch between them using brew
link/unlink.
https://github.com/rodlogic/homebrew-ghc
On Wed, Aug 27, 2014 at 5:39 PM, Nicola Gigante
Hello!
I just want to point to your attention this issue of Homebrew:
https://github.com/Homebrew/homebrew/issues/31609
It seems that they’re forced to remove the formula for the Haskell Platform because, it seems, the build process has become extremely complicated and they can’t figure out how to automate it.
Is there someone that know enough internals of the platform to help them or to give some advice?
Thanks, Nicola _______________________________________________ Haskell-Cafe mailing list Haskell-Cafe@haskell.org http://www.haskell.org/mailman/listinfo/haskell-cafe

Il giorno 27/ago/2014, alle ore 22:49, RodLogic
fwiw, instead of waiting for this I created a new set of formulas (based on the stock homebrew one). The main difference is that I created one formula for each version since I want to be able to switch between them using brew link/unlink.
Actually, the formula for ghc 7.8 works well since very few days. The problem is with the Haskell Platform. Any idea? Thanks, Nicola

On Wed, Aug 27, 2014 at 11:01 PM, Nicola Gigante
Il giorno 27/ago/2014, alle ore 22:49, RodLogic
ha scritto: fwiw, instead of waiting for this I created a new set of formulas (based on the stock homebrew one). The main difference is that I created one formula for each version since I want to be able to switch between them using brew link/unlink.
https://github.com/rodlogic/homebrew-ghc
Actually, the formula for ghc 7.8 works well since very few days. The problem is with the Haskell Platform. Any idea?
Thanks, Nicola
_______________________________________________ Haskell-Cafe mailing list Haskell-Cafe@haskell.org http://www.haskell.org/mailman/listinfo/haskell-cafe

basically the problem is theres no one actively "owning" the brew formula
for ghc or platform AND also famliar with haskell. if someone was willing
to be the "proactive owner" on the brew formula, i'm happy to help them
when they hit tricky OS X issues, but baring that development, I avoid
using Brew to manage GHC/Haskell platform like the plague, and advise
others thusly.
the Brew GHC formula is painfully out of date and kinda iffy .
https://github.com/Homebrew/homebrew/blob/master/Library/Formula/ghc.rb
It still defaults to 7.6 despite 7.6 being hosed on more modern build envs
unless you install userland GCC (which then in turn breaks any haskell
package that assumes a suitable mac friendly / objective ), AND the GHC 7.8
version it provides is 7.8.2 which had many nasty bugs and is no .
Additionally, theres ZERO good reason to expose "build from source" option
for the GHC formula. AND that has a complicated bootstrap process owing to
their focus on 7.6 support, which would go away if they switch to a "7.8
only" motif.
the GHC OS X build that Mark used for the newest haskell platform build
will work with OS X 10.6-10.1. Doing a binary install of that bindist
(./configure --prefix=$brewGHCprefix ; make install; link the executables
into path) should be the full extent of the brew formula.
On Wed, Aug 27, 2014 at 5:02 PM, Johan Tibell
On Wed, Aug 27, 2014 at 11:01 PM, Nicola Gigante
wrote:
Il giorno 27/ago/2014, alle ore 22:49, RodLogic
ha scritto: fwiw, instead of waiting for this I created a new set of formulas (based on the stock homebrew one). The main difference is that I created one formula for each version since I want to be able to switch between them using brew link/unlink.
https://github.com/rodlogic/homebrew-ghc
Actually, the formula for ghc 7.8 works well since very few days. The problem is with the Haskell Platform. Any idea?
Thanks, Nicola
_______________________________________________ Haskell-Cafe mailing list Haskell-Cafe@haskell.org http://www.haskell.org/mailman/listinfo/haskell-cafe
_______________________________________________ Haskell-Cafe mailing list Haskell-Cafe@haskell.org http://www.haskell.org/mailman/listinfo/haskell-cafe

Il giorno 28/ago/2014, alle ore 01:33, Carter Schonwald
basically the problem is theres no one actively "owning" the brew formula for ghc or platform AND also famliar with haskell. if someone was willing to be the "proactive owner" on the brew formula, i'm happy to help them when they hit tricky OS X issues, but baring that development, I avoid using Brew to manage GHC/Haskell platform like the plague, and advise others thusly.
the Brew GHC formula is painfully out of date and kinda iffy . https://github.com/Homebrew/homebrew/blob/master/Library/Formula/ghc.rb
It still defaults to 7.6 despite 7.6 being hosed on more modern build envs unless you install userland GCC (which then in turn breaks any haskell package that assumes a suitable mac friendly / objective ), AND the GHC 7.8 version it provides is 7.8.2 which had many nasty bugs and is no .
Additionally, theres ZERO good reason to expose "build from source" option for the GHC formula. AND that has a complicated bootstrap process owing to their focus on 7.6 support, which would go away if they switch to a "7.8 only" motif.
the GHC OS X build that Mark used for the newest haskell platform build will work with OS X 10.6-10.1. Doing a binary install of that bindist (./configure --prefix=$brewGHCprefix ; make install; link the executables into path) should be the full extent of the brew formula.
So, If i can recall correctly: - They could simplify a lot the process if they’d focus on ghc 7.8 only. - Anyway, they should forget building from source and provide a formula that installs the binary distribution. Am I correct? Nicola

Pretty much. But not 7.8 generally, but >= 7.8.3 onwards. There are some
nasty bugs in 7.8.2 that can bite if you're not careful.
On Thursday, August 28, 2014, Nicola Gigante
Il giorno 28/ago/2014, alle ore 01:33, Carter Schonwald < carter.schonwald@gmail.com javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','carter.schonwald@gmail.com');> ha scritto:
basically the problem is theres no one actively "owning" the brew formula for ghc or platform AND also famliar with haskell. if someone was willing to be the "proactive owner" on the brew formula, i'm happy to help them when they hit tricky OS X issues, but baring that development, I avoid using Brew to manage GHC/Haskell platform like the plague, and advise others thusly.
the Brew GHC formula is painfully out of date and kinda iffy . https://github.com/Homebrew/homebrew/blob/master/Library/Formula/ghc.rb
It still defaults to 7.6 despite 7.6 being hosed on more modern build envs unless you install userland GCC (which then in turn breaks any haskell package that assumes a suitable mac friendly / objective ), AND the GHC 7.8 version it provides is 7.8.2 which had many nasty bugs and is no .
Additionally, theres ZERO good reason to expose "build from source" option for the GHC formula. AND that has a complicated bootstrap process owing to their focus on 7.6 support, which would go away if they switch to a "7.8 only" motif.
the GHC OS X build that Mark used for the newest haskell platform build will work with OS X 10.6-10.1. Doing a binary install of that bindist (./configure --prefix=$brewGHCprefix ; make install; link the executables into path) should be the full extent of the brew formula.
So, If i can recall correctly: - They could simplify a lot the process if they’d focus on ghc 7.8 only. - Anyway, they should forget building from source and provide a formula that installs the binary distribution.
Am I correct?
Nicola
participants (4)
-
Carter Schonwald
-
Johan Tibell
-
Nicola Gigante
-
RodLogic