Re: should we ship linkable gmp/mpfr/mpc or hide them?

[David Holland <dholland-tech%netbsd.org@localhost>]

On Sun, Jul 17, 2011 at 01:30:49AM +0200, Alistair Crooks wrote:
 > I'm against installing gmp in base (and all the others as well).  The
 > fact that other packages use them is neither here nor there - it's a
 > matter for pkgsrc, not base - and the builtin recognition should just
 > dtrt with versions.  Where I have problems is that nothing else needs
 > them in base, 

Point.

 > and I'm still unsure why a compiler needs multi-precision
 > arithmetic.

...well, at least a C compiler.

(The impression I have is that it's for dealing with non-native
integer sizes and they used gmp because it already exists and it's
easier to duct-tape it in than engineer something.)

 > I'd be much more interested in making a layer on top of
 > (public-domain) libtommath which could do both gmp and openssl-style
 > bignums.  I have started on this, but could do with some help.  Anyone
 > interested?

In theory, yes; in practice, it's not my field, plus you've seen my
todo list :(

-- 
David A. Holland
dholland%netbsd.org@localhost