[fpc-pascal] Free Pascal 2.4.0 released

[Juha Manninen]

On lauantai, 2. tammikuuta 2010 13:18:49 Michael Van Canneyt wrote:
> I guess you didn't read the documentation then.
> 
> It is published on the website:
> 
> http://www.freepascal.org/docs-html/user/user.html
> 
> Chapter 2 is all about installing.
> 
> In particular, section 2.2.1 says something about installing in a directory
>  containing spaces in its name:
> 
> http://www.freepascal.org/docs-html/user/usersu3.html

Well yes. Somehow I missed it now. I have looked at the User's guide earlier 
though.


> Because it is so obvious that no-one bothered to document it in an extra
>  file. If you made it to the point that you extracted the source from SVN,
>  you should know what to do next.
> 
> If I see a makefile, I always do 2 things:
> make all
> make install
> If I see a 'configure' script, I do
> configure --help
> and after studying the options:
> ./configure --options-I-need
> Which normally leaves me with the makefile. At which point: see above.

Ok. In this case it could have been more difficult because of the "cycle 
build" thing FPC does. It wasn't more difficult which is good.


> This is general programming knowledge. Someone who doesn't know that should
>  not be installing from sources or attempt recompiling a compiler: they
>  should use a pre-packaged version instead. If they want to try anyway:
>  Sure, and it is a great learning experience. For those that want to learn,
>  compiling the compiler is treated in the programmer's reference:
> 
> http://www.freepascal.org/docs-html/prog/progap6.html
> 
> So saying that it is not documented is overstretching it a bit.

Right, my bad.
I think the problem for me was that I want to experiment something quickly and 
only read brief instructions. Then I maybe try again and finally read 
documents if nothing else helps. It is not the right way, I know. 

1. I want to download. I could easily find download instructions. There is a 
"Download" link at freepascal main page. Both packages and SVN are covered.

2. I want to install. There is no link saying "Installation". Even if you 
select the Documentation link and search for "install" you don't find 
anything.
The installation stuff is "buried" in User's guide and Programmer's guide.
I missed it and so apparently did the original poster of this thread. (So it 
is not only me.)


Juha Manninen