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Date:      Thu, 06 Sep 2001 00:55:40 -0500
From:      Jim Bryant <kc5vdj@yahoo.com>
To:        Bakul Shah <bakul@bitblocks.com>
Cc:        Kris Kennaway <kris@obsecurity.org>, Dave Cornejo <dave@dogwood.com>, Poul-Henning Kamp <phk@critter.freebsd.dk>, current@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: HEADS UP: ACPI CHANGES AFFECTING MOST -CURRENT USERS
Message-ID:  <3B970FDC.5040205@yahoo.com>
References:  <200109060512.BAA29542@devonshire.cnchost.com>

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Bakul Shah wrote:

>>>I doubt if the bootloader will ever change from FORTH, but if it
>>>does, I suggest LISP as the preferred choice on a short-list of
>>>potential replacements.
>>>
>>Show us a suitable LISP interpreter, then.
>>
> 
> I don't know what size constraints the bootloader has to have
> but the smallest two lisp interpreters I have found are:
> 
> $ cd /usr/ports/lang/slisp/work/slisp-1.2/src
> $ size slisp
>    text    data     bss     dec     hex filename
>   17872     616    3584   22072    5638 slisp
> 
> $ wc *.h *.c
>       67     321    2266 extern.h
>       69     335    2053 slisp.h
>      927    2438   15990 funcs.c
>      189     730    4707 lexer.c
>      147     458    3232 main.c
>      287     832    6358 object.c
>      136     470    3370 parser.c
>     1822    5584   37976 total
> 
> slisp has most of the common lisp constructs.


That would be a perfect candidate.  Low source file count, compact in core [depending on dynamic requirements].  Easily modifiable 
for the task, and looks to have a usable base subset of the language.


> $ cd ~/lang/Scheme/tinyscm-1.27
> $ size scheme 
>    text    data     bss     dec     hex filename
>   61342    4476    3480   69298   10eb2 scheme
> $ wc *.h *.c
>       12      33     247 dynload.h
>      344    1136    9221 scheme.h
>      126     292    2589 dynload.c
>     4445   12353  125421 scheme.c
>     4927   13814  137478 total
> 
> Tinyscheme is a mostly complete R5RS Scheme (R5RS is the
> closest thing to a Scheme standard) -- everything except
> complex and rational number types, bignums, hygenic macros
> and call-with-values and unwind-protect.  You can probably
> subset it quite a bit to make it far smaller (e.g. the real
> number type and advanced math functions to avoid linking in
> libm).  If it matters to you, it has a BSD style licence.
> 
> http://tinyscheme.sourceforge.net/home.html
> http://tinyscheme.sourceforge.net/tinyscheme-1.27.tar.gz


The problems of Scheme are much like the problems of FORTH.  It's a niche language that has few proficient programmers.  LISP may 
not be "mainstream", but it's far more so than Scheme [or FORTH for that matter], and is commonly taught in CompSci classes, meaning 
that most serious programmers have at least been familiarized with the language, in fact, your local drating tech may be quite 
proficient in it [AutoCAD uses LISP]...

I personally don't care if FORTH stays, but if it's up for debate, LISP is a great choice.


jim
-- 
     ET has one helluva sense of humor!
He's always anal-probing right-wing schizos!
--------------------------------------------
           POWER TO THE PEOPLE!


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