[Vm-dev] Unix VM closure enabled?

[David T. Lewis]

On Tue, Jul 14, 2009 at 03:56:40PM -0700, Andreas Raab wrote:
> 
> Folks -
> 
> I'll show my complete ignorance here but can someone explain to me what 
> the status of closure support in the Unix VMs is? Windows and Macs have 
> binaries that people can just download; I don't think the Unix VM is 
> usually shipped as binary, no?

Ian has recently returned from holiday, and will be available to help
with updates shortly. In the mean time, Bryce Kampjes has stepped forward
to provide closure enabled VMs to support Pharo, etc (thanks!).

The only thing that is required for a closure enabled VM is to build the
distribution using a recent VMMaker. There is no external support code
required, so nothing unix specific.

> In any case, what is the process that users have to go through to get a 
> closure-enabled VM on their preferred Unix flavor?

Just build the VM with recent VMMaker and Subversion support code. That's
it. Near term, use Bryce's Exupery VM with closure support. Real soon now,
use whatever Ian next compiles.

There are a number of outstanding issues and updates that we should try
to coordinate over the next couple of months, and I think it's on me
to publish a suggested to-do list for this. But as far as the closure
support, it's basically just a matter of compile it and go.

Dave