At Mon, 08 Dec 2025 20:22:50 +1100, matthew green <mrg%eterna23.net@localhost> wrote: Subject: re: (Cross-)Building with recent GCC versions > > > "gcc (basepoints/gcc-16-5320-gb2e40fc16eb, built at 1763380963) 16.0.0 > > 20251116 (experimental)") uncovers issues with texinfo while building > > tools: > > i have some patches for texinfo that fix this properly i think, but > need to find time to make sure they're right. Why not just import the latest release? If it has to move to external/gpl3, then so be it. It's not like it is a core tool and the kernel won't run without it. Yes, the README says it requires "Board approval" -- well then get it! The latest official release is Texinfo 7.2 (2024-12-23). The current version we're stuck with in base is from 2006 and it's a patch release based on 2004 code. It's over 20 years old!!!!!! I made a note in my own netbsd-bugs file in 2011 suggesting updating it then because many texinfo files were already using new features that our even-then ancient version didn't support. (I'm not sure if that was in files in the NetBSD tree, or just in some other package.) It's only needed to build other code, or rather documentation for said other code, in external/gpl* anyway! (And potentially for reading said documentation afterwards.) Avoiding updating a tool to a GPLv3 version when it is only used on other GPLv[23] code seems more than counter- productive. It's the kind of "stick-in-the-mud" silliness that brings on negative comments about NetBSD as a whole. Just in terms of the language support and fixes in the tools used to build info files, the changes in the NEW file over the last 20 years is astounding. I'm amazed that our ancient version still processes more modern texinfo documents at all. -- Greg A. Woods <gwoods%acm.org@localhost> Kelowna, BC +1 250 762-7675 RoboHack <woods%robohack.ca@localhost> Planix, Inc. <woods%planix.com@localhost> Avoncote Farms <woods%avoncote.ca@localhost>
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