Fateman:
> > I suspect that any real user would want the same [simple install],
> > and more. Like complete and accurate documentation, an uninstall
> > script, etc.
Jarausch:
> Let me say that I'm a bit surprised by your attitude to FREE
software!...
> But in the case of free software I consider it may tiny contribution
> to help in finding bugs. Those who fix the bugs do a lot of work
> and the burden to check successful build and tests should be shared
> to a much larger group.
There are many useful roles in a free software project. Rich is
offering to contribute in debugging the Maxima code, as am I (I have
filed 43 bug reports so far, several including patches -- how many have
you filed?). Neither he nor I is interested in building Lisp or Maxima
from scratch, and very few if any end users (especially on Windows or
Mac) will be interested in doing that either. It is perverse to put the
burden of "checking successful builds" on EVERY SINGLE USER of the
system! -- unless, that is, we only want code jockeys to be using the
system.
I may end up using the CVS tree for the Lisp code (not the C code)
because it is frustrating to spend time tracking down a bug and writing
a patch only to discover that someone else has already fixed the bug (as
has happened to me a couple of times).
I also agree with Rich that improving the code is not the only useful
thing. Some people will want to write various kinds of documentation --
reference material, tutorials, etc. -- that doesn't require building
the system from scratch, either. I am a bit surprised by your attitude
that free software should NOT have good documentation, a clean install
and uninstall, etc.
-s