Re: issues with packaging Clozure Common Lisp (ccl.clozure.com) for Debian
On 2012-07-17 11:38:32 +0530 (+0530), Faheem Mitha wrote:
[...]
> CCL requires itself to build. Since it is not currently in the
> Debian archive, that raises the question of how this should
> happen.
[...]
Having not done this myself, I've seen it discussed ad nauseum on
debian-devel over the years. First you have to work out how to
bootstrap the compiler on each arch you're targeting. Most compilers
have a minimal bootstrapping method documented using another
compiler (C or in CCL's case perhaps another CL compiler). As a
non-DD you'd likely need to work closely with someone with access to
porter boxes for the various architectures, even if only to help
test cross-built binary versions of CCL (hopefully it comes with a
good set of automated validation tests?). Testing is essential for
something like a compiler, because you want to have some
confirmation your package build sequence works everywhere and won't
be as likely to annoy the buildd admins or porters with a bunch of
arch-specific FTBFS problems.
Once you manually work out how to get your CCL packages building
reliably, you'd coordinate closely with a sponsor (maybe someone
from the Debian Common Lisp Team?) to get temporary/throwaway binary
packages uploaded for each arch so that they can be subsequently
pulled in on the buildds as a build-depends of your proper
source-built packages.
The last time I remember this coming up, I believe it was in
reference to (or resulted in) a GSOC project as well as Wookey's
Bootstrapable Debian talk at Debconf11. A redux of this core "staged
builds" idea seems to be documented here, though bootstrapping
individual compilers is mentioned only briefly and the context is
centered more around bringing up an entire new port of Debian from
source:
http://wiki.debian.org/DebianBootstrap
I'm not sure how much closer that's gotten to being a usable
proposal yet. I hunted around for documentation specific to
introducing a new self-building compiler package into Debian, but
didn't have much luck. Hopefully one of the DDs on this list can
point you to something slightly more appropriate.
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