#3235: ghci-6.10.3 can't be built with readline support
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Reporter: guest | Owner:
Type: bug | Status: new
Priority: normal | Milestone:
Component: GHCi | Version: 6.10.3
Severity: minor | Resolution:
Keywords: | Testcase:
Os: Unknown/Multiple | Architecture: Unknown/Multiple
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Comment (by duncan):
I'd tend to agree, however there are at least these issues:
* Maintenance and testing burden of keeping several line editing systems
working
* Distributing binaries and problems with depending on system shared
libs.
* Licensing complications
If the patch is not invasive and GHC HQ are not asked to maintain the
readline branch then perhaps the first point is ok.
It's annoying when building binaries that sometimes the .so number of
readline changes and then we need to build different binaries for
different systems. Using haskeline has fewer problems in this area.
When one builds ghc (BSD licensed) against readline (GPL) then if you
distribute the combined work it must be under the terms of the GPL. That's
not something that GHC HQ want to do and some users would prefer to
receive binaries under the BSD or distribute their own binaries under the
terms of the BSD license. On the other hand it's perfectly OK for distros
to build it that way, as long as they clearly label the licensing terms of
the result (which has not always been done clearly).
So if readline is to be used it has to be optional and not the default.
That's fine. So the only remaining issue is the maintenance burden. I
cannot speak for the GHC maintainers but if someone volunteers to properly
maintain the readline support then perhaps that might be enough.
--
Ticket URL: <http://hackage.haskell.org/trac/ghc/ticket/3235#comment:1>
GHC <http://www.haskell.org/ghc/>
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