Jarom=EDr Dolecek <jdolecek@netbsd.org> writes:
> I've tried to rewrite them in awk, but one of the two needed scripts
> is quite complex and doesn't translate to awk quite good. I've started
> some work on this, but suspended it for now due to 'too much work
> for little gain' factor.

Could we just pre-generate those fonts and check them in to the
repository for now? It would be much better than not having them.

> IMHO xsrc optional dependence on perl does not justify putting
> this in base system. I gather Perry said that more to ridiculise
> the UUCP removal issue and push for pkgized base system - I don't
> believe he actually actively _wants_ perl in base NetBSD :)

This is partially correct. I was seeking to show how ridiculous
getting rid of individual components is to save space. What we really
need is a pkgized base system.

In fact, I have a scheme on how to get rid of the current scheme of
sets files in src/dist and do things towards having a packagized
install in a far more natural manner, all as a side effect of some
work Wasabi is doing towards making it possible to do full system
snapshots without being root. I'll probably be posting more this on
tech-userlevel in the next couple of weeks.

However, I am also partially serious. It is often a lot nicer and
easier to write large shell/awk/sed monstrosities in Perl instead. It
would be very convenient to have some sort of Perl around, just as it
was decided 20 years ago to include awk with the system. However, I
know very well that no one is ever going to agree to it.

> The xsrc4 issue is easily solved by building official xsrc snapshots
> with HasPerl defined, so that the extra fonts get generated. People
> building their own xsrc don't need that commonly, since they
> supposely already have the fonts installed :) Note that not even
> Leenuks has HasPerl defined (only UnixWare, Solaris8 & FreeBSD
> have).

As I said, could we (for now) pre-build the fonts on a system with
Perl and check them in so that we have them?

--
Perry E. Metzger		perry@wasabisystems.com
--
NetBSD Development, Support & CDs. http://www.wasabisystems.com/