I've posted a new statically-linked CVSup client for linux-libc5 boxes
in:

  ftp://postgresql.org/pub/CVSup/cvsup-15.4.2-client-linux-libc5.tar.gz

I've noticed many checksum errors when using my older cvsup-15.2
installation, but have not yet had a real update to test this newer
package to see if it helps.

I used my existing from-sources Modula-3 installation to build it. That
form of Modula-3 installation may not be for everyone, since it took
over 200MB of disk space during the installation and ~50MB after. But...

I found an rpm-packaged version of Modula-3 which was trivial to install
on my glibc2 box, but have not yet been successful at building cvsup for
that machine. It looks like a configuration problem of some sort, since
it fails on the very first m3makefile statement. If anyone has an
interest in it I can give them the urls and point them at the CVSup
author; not sure if I'll have time to pursue it for a while...

                      - Tom

Wed, 02 Dec 1998 05:49:48 +0000
"Thomas G. Lockhart" <lockhart@alumni.caltech.edu>
New Linux/libc5 CVSup client
Hi,

I'm the author of CVSup.  I'm really glad you cc'd me on your mail.

On 02-Dec-98 Thomas G. Lockhart wrote:
> I've posted a new statically-linked CVSup client for linux-libc5 boxes
> in:
> 
>   ftp://postgresql.org/pub/CVSup/cvsup-15.4.2-client-linux-libc5.tar.gz

Great!  I've been meaning to try to get some newer binaries for
platforms I don't have.

> I've noticed many checksum errors when using my older cvsup-15.2
> installation, but have not yet had a real update to test this newer
> package to see if it helps.

It should fix that problem.  The checksum errors were caused by
some whitespace changes in RCS files that were introduced in recent
versions of CVS.  I made the checksumming algorithm for RCS files
ignore inconsequential whitespace differences, so this problem
shouldn't recur no matter what they do to CVS in the future.

There's still one potential source of checksum errors.  The very
newest versions of CVS support some new features such as preserving
file modes and handling links.  These are implemented using RCS file
extensions (see rcsfile(5) for details) which are not yet supported by
CVSup.  Luckily, it seems that few people use those extensions.  I am
going to implement a general scheme for handling them, hopefully for
the next release of CVSup.  Even if some files use the new extensions,
the current version will update them OK.  You'll see checksum errors,
but the "fixups" at the end will correct them (slower, of course).

> I used my existing from-sources Modula-3 installation to build it. That
> form of Modula-3 installation may not be for everyone, since it took
> over 200MB of disk space during the installation and ~50MB after. But...
> 
> I found an rpm-packaged version of Modula-3 which was trivial to install
> on my glibc2 box, but have not yet been successful at building cvsup for
> that machine. It looks like a configuration problem of some sort, since
> it fails on the very first m3makefile statement.

This is the so-called "PM3" release of Modula-3, right?  I've made
the necessary changes to build CVSup under that version of Modula-3.
I've been holding off on releasing it because I'd like to get some
other new features into the program first.  But it's well tested on
a couple of FreeBSD mirror sites.  I put the sources up for FTP at:

    ftp://ftp.polstra.com/private/lockhart/cvsup-15.5.tar.gz

The MD5 checksum is 1f2466e83d06beb1ab2a2400515f9817.

You should be able to build it with "make M3TARGET=LINUXLIBC6".  I'd
love to find out whether it works OK under Linux, and fix it if it
doesn't.

I'm going to be on vacation next week, so I may be a bit unresponsive
to mail during that time.

John
---
  John Polstra                                               jdp@polstra.com
  John D. Polstra & Co., Inc.                        Seattle, Washington USA
  "Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public."
                                                            -- H. L. Mencken

Wed, 02 Dec 1998 09:03:10 -0800 (PST)
John Polstra <jdp@polstra.com>
RE: New Linux/libc5 CVSup client
> > I've noticed many checksum errors when using my older cvsup-15.2
> > installation, but have not yet had a real update to test this newer
> > package to see if it helps.
> It should fix that problem.  The checksum errors were caused by
> some whitespace changes in RCS files that were introduced in recent
> versions of CVS.  I made the checksumming algorithm for RCS files
> ignore inconsequential whitespace differences, so this problem
> shouldn't recur no matter what they do to CVS in the future.

I wasn't complaining; it's nice that your fallback technique of full
transfer made it a "don't care".

> This is the so-called "PM3" release of Modula-3, right?

Yes. Any opinions on it? Hopefully it isn't too incompatible with other
releases. They seem to be enthusiastic, and RPM support really helps
with the initial installation...

> I'm going to be on vacation next week, so I may be a bit unresponsive
> to mail during that time.

No problem. My glibc2 machine is at work, so I'll test there tomorrow if
I have time. Have a good vacation if I don't talk to you before.

                    - Tom

Thu, 03 Dec 1998 01:00:45 +0000
"Thomas G. Lockhart" <lockhart@alumni.caltech.edu>
Re: New Linux/libc5 CVSup client
On 03-Dec-98 Thomas G. Lockhart wrote:

> I wasn't complaining; it's nice that your fallback technique of full
> transfer made it a "don't care".

Oh, I didn't think you were complaining; I was just explaining.  I
always worry that when people see those "checksum mismatch" messages,
they'll think it's because the program is buggy.  Then they might
decide not to trust it at all.  But because of the safeguards that it
contains ("fixups"), it's impossible (to the best of my knowledge) for
the package to deliver a corrupted file.  Even if you kill it manually
at any point, you'll either get a correct file or you'll still have
your original version.

>> This is the so-called "PM3" release of Modula-3, right?
> 
> Yes. Any opinions on it?

It's _the_ free release to use these days.  (There's also a commercial
M3 put out by Critical Mass <http://www.cmass.com/>.)  DEC SRC hasn't
done anything with their M3 release for ages now.  Some of the
stalwarts took over maintenance in their spare time, and the result
is PM3.  Most of the progress has been in the Linux arena, since most
of the PM3 people run Linux.  I've gotten it ported to FreeBSD, but
haven't submitted the changes back to the PM3 folks yet.  There are
still some wrinkles to iron out, due to the fact that FreeBSD is in
a transition period from a.out to ELF.

Anyway, for Linux PM3 seems to be a big step forward.  At least they
are keeping up with the libc changes that keep coming along lately.

> Hopefully it isn't too incompatible with other releases.

It's mostly compatible except for some details of the build system
that most programs never run into.

> They seem to be enthusiastic, and RPM support really helps with the
> initial installation...

Yes indeed.

> My glibc2 machine is at work, so I'll test there tomorrow if I have
> time. Have a good vacation if I don't talk to you before.

Thanks!

John
---
  John Polstra                                               jdp@polstra.com
  John D. Polstra & Co., Inc.                        Seattle, Washington USA
  "Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public."
                                                            -- H. L. Mencken

Wed, 02 Dec 1998 18:24:33 -0800 (PST)
John Polstra <jdp@polstra.com>
Re: New Linux/libc5 CVSup client