>>>>> "Richard" == Richard Fateman <fateman@cs.berkeley.edu> writes:
>> Would this version be able to compile new user-written maxima code or
>> would it run interpreted?
Richard> Even the current trial version or student version compiles, it just doesn't
Richard> write out the compiled code to a "fasl" file so it can be rapidly loaded.
Forgot about that. But if I remember correctly, the compiler is also
pretty fast, and low-end machines are some 4-10 times faster than when
I last used the free ACL, so it may not matter so much to recompile
everytime you needed it.
>> Nothing I do with maxima really takes long,
>> so running interpreted isn't so bad. If compiled, then wouldn't Franz
>> really be giving away the complete system with compiler and all since
>> maxima gives access to the underlying lisp?
Richard> Yes. Which seems odd to me. That is, someone could take such a
Richard> free Maxima+Allegro and try to strip out the maxima code (or for
Richard> that matter, just leave it there!) and run some other lisp program.
Removing should be easy: unintern all the symbols in the MAXIMA
package and GC. :-) Then I can get more heap than before, and maybe
more than the free versions allow. :-)
Richard> I assume there is some way of Franz not "giving away the store"
Richard> but I don't know exactly how. But then the trial version pretty
Richard> much gives away the store and they still have a business.
I guess not having the file compiler and the limited heap is the
problem? And maybe the need to get a new license periodically?
In any case, a prepackaged maxima+allegro would not be such a bad
thing, especially if you run on Windows.
Ray