On Tue, 13 Feb 2001, Thor Lancelot Simon wrote:

=> Test-and-set on MIPS is hard, since the earlier processors don't have an
=> atomic TAS or compare-and-swap instruction.  I'd want to be _really_
=> sure that the implementation was actually bulletproof before turning
=> on the build of a package #'d out for that reason on MIPS -- just
=> compiling doesn't seem good enough to me.

On a related sentiment, I wish more NOT_FOR_PLATFORM's were used, not
less, particularly in the case where a package will build but obviously
not run.  It would save a lot of time downloading and compiling up
front.  An example is /usr/pkgsrc/math/R.  This package will build and
install fine on NetBSD/alpha, but, because IEEE floating point does not
work properly on alpha, R aborts immediately with a floating point
exception when you run it.

Cheers,

Paul.

e-mail: paul@gromit.dlib.vt.edu

"Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production
 deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid."
        --- Frank Vincent Zappa