[project @ 1997-03-23 22:28:03 by sof]

2.02 release update

6 files changed, 277 insertions, 147 deletions

diff --git a/distrib/ANNOUNCE b/distrib/ANNOUNCE
index 1938eae8d1..011c1c9326 100644
--- a/distrib/ANNOUNCE
+++ b/distrib/ANNOUNCE
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-	     The Glasgow Haskell Compiler -- version 2.02
-	     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+	  The Glasgow Haskell Compiler -- version 2.02
+	  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 We are pleased to announce the first release of the Glasgow Haskell
 Compiler (GHC, version 2.02) for *Haskell 1.4*.  Sources and binaries
@@ -12,27 +12,27 @@ Report is online at
 
 	http://haskell.cs.yale.edu/1.4/haskell-report.html
 
-GHC 2.02 is a beta-quality release:
+GHC 2.02 is a beta-quality release - some highlights:
 
   * It is reliable.
-    It has been extensively tested against a large suite of Haskell 1.2 
-    programs, but not so extensively tested against Haskell 1.4 programs 
-    because we don't have a comprehensive set (Donations of Haskell 1.4
-    programs to our test suite are most welcome).
+     It has been extensively tested against a large suite of Haskell 1.2 
+     programs, but not so extensively tested against Haskell 1.4 programs 
+     because we don't have a comprehensive set (Donations of Haskell 1.4
+     programs to our test suite are most welcome).
 
   * It should generate good code.
-    All the optimisations that GHC 0.29 used to do are back in, with 
-    the exception of specialisation.  It ought to be the case that
-    GHC 2.02 outperforms GHC 0.29, because it has a much better
-    handle on cross-module inlining, but there's a good chance that
-    there are performance "holes" lurking.  We have yet to make
-    a systematic comparison.  (Please send us programs where 2.02
-    does noticeably worse than 0.29.)
+     All the optimisations that GHC 0.29 used to do are back in, with 
+     the exception of specialisation.  It ought to be the case that
+     GHC 2.02 outperforms GHC 0.29, because it has a much better
+     handle on cross-module inlining, but there's a good chance that
+     there are performance "holes" lurking.  We have yet to make
+     a systematic comparison.  (Please send us programs where 2.02
+     does noticeably worse than 0.29.)
 
   * It is more expensive than it should be.
-    GHC 2.02 has received even less attention to its own performance.
-    At present it eats more space and time than GHC 0.29, especially
-    for very small programs.  We'll work on this.
+     GHC 2.02 has received even less attention to its own performance.
+     At present it eats more space and time than GHC 0.29, especially
+     for very small programs.  We're working on this.
 
   * A couple of Haskell 1.4 features are incompletely supported,
     notably polymorphic strictness annotations, and Unicode.
@@ -54,10 +54,11 @@ include:
     it expands into tons of "ccall" boilerplate that marshalls
     your arguments to and from C.
 
-  * GHC 2.02 is available for Windows NT.  From now on, Windows NT
-    will be a fully supported platform for GHC.
+  * GHC 2.02 is available for Win32 platforms.  From now on, Win32
+    (Windows NT and Windows 95) will be a fully supported platform
+    for GHC.
 
-  * GHC 2.02 supports full cross moudule inlining.  Unlike 0.29 and
+  * GHC 2.02 supports full cross module inlining.  Unlike 0.29 and
     its predecessors, inlining can happen even if the inlined body
     mentions a function or type that is not itself exported.  This is
     one place Haskell 1.4's new module system really pays off.
@@ -80,15 +81,15 @@ To run this release, you need a machine with 16+MB memory (more if
 building from sources), GNU C (`gcc'), and `perl'.  We have seen GHC
 2.01 work on these platforms: alpha-dec-osf2, hppa1.1-hp-hpux9,
 sparc-sun-{sunos4,solaris2}, mips-sgi-irix5, and
-i386-unknown-{linux,solaris2,freebsd}.  Similar platforms should work
-with minimal hacking effort.  The installer's guide give a full
-what-ports-work report.
+i386-unknown-{linux,solaris2,freebsd,cygwin32}.  Similar platforms
+should work with minimal hacking effort.  The installer's guide give a
+complete run-down of what-ports-work.
 
 Binaries are distributed in `bundles', e.g. a "profiling bundle" or a
 "concurrency bundle" for your platform.  Just grab the ones you need.
 
-Once you have the distribution, please follow the pointers in
-ghc/README to find all of the documentation about this release.  NB:
+Once you have the distribution, please follow the pointers in the
+README file to find all of the documentation about this release.  NB:
 preserve modification times when un-tarring the files (no `m' option
 for tar, please)!
 
@@ -125,6 +126,9 @@ computing/programming/languages/haskell/glasgow.
 These are the available files (.gz files are gzipped) -- some are `on
 demand', ask if you don't see them:
 
+README.html             A WWW `front-end' to the contents of the glasgow
+			directory.
+
 ghc-2.02-src.tar.gz	The source distribution; about 3MB.
 
 ghc-2.02.ANNOUNCE	This file.
@@ -176,3 +180,4 @@ ghc-2.02-hi-files-<blah>.tar.gz Sometimes it's more convenient to
 			use a different set of interface files than
 			the ones in *-src.tar.gz.  (The installation
 			guide will advise you of this.)
+
diff --git a/distrib/INSTALL b/distrib/INSTALL
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..53b9449e7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/distrib/INSTALL
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+This is the INSTALL instructions for a binary bundle of the
+Glorious Glasgow Haskell Compilation System. For more details
+on what on earth this package is up to, please consult the README
+and ANNOUNCE.
+
+To start using the bundle, you can either:
+
+* use it in-place, i.e., don't go ahead with a
+  full install, but just set it up to use the unpacked
+  distribution from where it was unpacked.
+
+* get it over with, and do the full install (details of how are ahead).
+
+NOTE Win32 users: see comment below before continuing.
+
+To set the ball rolling, run the configure script (as usual, run
+the script with --help to see what options it supports).
+
+This will figure out what platform you're running on, and a couple of other
+interesting pieces of trivia, which it will then fill in the Makefile.in
+template to give you a real Makefile.
+
+Have a look at the Makefile to see if you agree with the information
+therein. If you want to use the bundle in-place, now run `make in-place'.
+If you're installing, `make install' (`make show-install-setup' prints
+the details of where the different pieces of the bundle are heading when
+-- possibly helpful).
+
+For more information, please consult the installation guide in
+{html,dvi,info}/ghc-2.02/installing{.dvi,.info,_toc.html}.
+
+Bug reports/suggestions for improvement to the installation procedure/setup
+(as well as other GHC related troubles you're experiencing, of course),
+gratefully received at glasgow-haskell-bugs@dcs.gla.ac.uk
+
+Enjoy.
+
+
+-------Win32 users only----------------------------------------
+NOTE to Win32 users: to enjoy any sort of happiness with the GHC
+tools, you will have to install the cygwin32 toolchain, which dresses
+up the Win32 environment into something more UNIX-like (which
+this initial port of ghc relies on being the case). The cygwin32 tools
+are available from
+
+    ftp://ftp.cygnus.com/pub/gnu-win32/gnu-win32-b17.1/   
+       (Cygnus Solutions; Mt. View, CA.)
+    ftp://sunsite.doc.ic.ac.uk/pub/gnu/cygnus/gnu-win32/
+        (Sunsite Northern Europe; Imperial College, London)
+    ftp://ftp.crl.go.jp/pub/GNU/cygnus/gnu-win32/
+	(CRL, Ministry of Posts and Telecom., Japan)
+
+GHC was built with beta17 - you *might* get away with beta16 if you've already got it
+installed...not tested this though.
+
+The GHC tools are also quite picky about Perl, the commonly-used
+Hip/ActiveWare Win32 port of perl5 just ain't Cool Enough (main reason: 
+GHC scripts assume they are talking to an underlying UNIX command
+shell). A port of perl5.003 done on top of cygwin32-b17 is just
+the ticket though, it is available from 
+
+   http://www.edv.agrar.tu-muenchen.de/~syring/gnu-win32/
+
+this port is not complete - but the binaries available from there
+are sufficiently wonderful.
+
+Install both cygwin32&perl5 before continuing.
+
+Future releases of GHC for Win32 may very well avoid relying on
+cygwin32 to operate, for various reasons..
+
+-------Win32 users only----------------------------------------
diff --git a/distrib/Makefile-bin.in b/distrib/Makefile-bin.in
index 404f4d126b..c7415180d0 100644
--- a/distrib/Makefile-bin.in
+++ b/distrib/Makefile-bin.in
@@ -1,12 +1,15 @@
+#
+# @configure_input@
+#
 # Instructions for configuring an fptools package.
 #
 # There are two ways you can get started with an fptools package, either
 # by using the unpacked distribution tree in-situ or by installing the
 # package.
 #
-# Using the package directly is easy, just do `make config', i.e.,
-# the distribution will *not* work out-of-the-box, you'll have to do
-# this first.
+# Using the package directly is easy, just do `make config'. (The
+# distribution will *not* work straight out of the box, you'll have to do
+# this first)
 #
 # To install the package, you'll have to set one or more of the
 # following variables:
@@ -18,7 +21,7 @@
 #     where you want the library archives to go.
 #     Note, if you specify /usr/foo/lib for libdir,
 #     the library files for your fptools package will be
-#     installed in  /usr/foo/lib/<package>-<version>, i.e.,
+#     installed in  /usr/foo/lib/<package>-<version>, e.g.,
 #     /usr/foo/lib/ghc-2.02. If you don't want the package/version
 #     directory appended, you'll have to modify $(real_libdir)
 #     below.
@@ -27,111 +30,196 @@
 #     path to where the platform-independent files will go.
 #     As for libdir, the effective path for the platform-indep
 #     stuff is $(datadir)/<package>-<version>. If you want
-#     complete control, see $(real_libdir)
+#     complete control, see $(real_datadir)
 #
 #  * platform 
-#     the platform you're installing for. The configure
-#     makes an educated guess what it, so you will only
-#     have to set this if it clashes with your reality.
+#     the platform you're installing for. The configure script
+#     makes an educated guess, so you'll only have to set this
+#     if it clashes with your reality, I guess.
 #
-#  * infodir
-#     where to install the Emacs info files
 #  * htmldir
 #     where to install the documentation HTML files.
 #  * dvidir
 #     where to install the DVI files.
+#  * infodir
+#     where to install the Emacs info files
 #
-# Installing the documentation is not via the `install' rule, but
-# via the rules: `install-docs', `install-html', `install-dvi'
-# and `install-info'.
+# Installing the documentation is not done as part of the `install' rule, but
+# via `install-docs' (or if you want to be selective: `install-html', `install-dvi'
+# and `install-info').
 #
 # For more complete instructions, consult the INSTALL file
 # that came with the bundle, and/or consult the installation
 # documentation in one of the document directories.
 #
-bindir    = @bindir@
-libdir    = @libdir@
-datadir   = @datadir@
-platform  = @platform@
+# Please report any bugs, problems etc. with installing and using this bundle
+# Makefile setup to glasgow-haskell-bugs@dcs.gla.ac.uk
+# 
+
+# Where the different pieces of the bundle should go:
+bindir      = @bindir@
+libdir      = @libdir@
+datadir     = @datadir@
+
+platform    = @TargetPlatform@
+prefix      = @prefix@
+exec_prefix = @exec_prefix@
 
-infodir   = @infodir@
-htmldir   = @htmldir@
-dvidir    = @dvidir@
+# default
+infodir   = $(datadir)
+htmldir   = $(datadir)
+dvidir    = $(datadir)
 
 #
 # Putting the package stuff in package-specific
 # directories:
 #
-real_libdir  = $(libdir)/$(package)-$(version)
-real_datadir = $(datadir)/$(package)-$(version)
+real_libdir      = $(libdir)/$(package)-$(version)
+real_datadir     = $(datadir)/$(package)-$(version)
+
+package     = ghc
+version     = 2.02
+PERL        = @PerlCmd@
+RM          = rm -f
+MV          = mv
+LN_S        = @LN_S@
+CHMOD       = chmod
+INSTALL	    = @INSTALL@
+# sigh
+INSTALL_DIR  = ./mkdirhier
 
+#
+# Set of package scripts for which you'd like a name-<version> symlink
+# to be created, i.e., create a symlink, ghc-2.02, pointing to ghc to
+# avoid version vertigo.
+#
+VERSION_SYMLINKS_FOR=ghc
+
+#
+# List of files in bin directory that need to have
+# local setup/install information prepended.
+#
+PACKAGE_SCRIPTS=ghc stat2resid hstags mkdependHS
+
+# Binaries to install
+PACKAGE_BINS=$(PACKAGE_SCRIPTS) hp2ps
+
+#----------end of user-serviceable parts------------
+#
+#
+# How to install the different pieces
+# 
+INSTALL_BIN  = $(INSTALL) $(INSTALL_BIN_OPTS)
+INSTALL_LIB  = $(INSTALL) $(INSTALL_LIB_OPTS)
+INSTALL_DATA = $(INSTALL) $(INSTALL_DATA_OPTS)
+
+# What's common to all installs
+INSTALL_OPTS= $(EXTRA_INSTALL_OPTS)
+
+BIN_PERMS = 755
+LIB_PERMS = 644
+
+INSTALL_BIN_OPTS  = -m $(BIN_PERMS) $(INSTALL_OPTS) $(EXTRA_INSTALL_BIN_OPTS)
+INSTALL_LIB_OPTS  = -m $(LIB_PERMS) $(INSTALL_OPTS) $(EXTRA_INSTALL_LIB_OPTS)
+INSTALL_DATA_OPTS = -m $(LIB_PERMS) $(INSTALL_OPTS) $(EXTRA_INSTALL_DATA_OPTS)
+
+.PHONY: in-place config-pkgs mk-version-symlinks install-dirs install
+
+config-pkgs ::
+	@echo "Configuring $(package), version $(version), on $(platform) ..."
+	$(RM) bin/$(platform)/$(package)-$(version)/$(package)-$(version)
+	@for i in $(PACKAGE_SCRIPTS); do \
+	   echo "Creating a configured version of $$i .."; \
+	   $(RM) bin/$(platform)/$(package)-$(version)/$$i.bak; \
+	   test -f bin/$(platform)/$(package)-$(version)/$$i && $(MV) bin/$(platform)/$(package)-$(version)/$$i bin/$(platform)/$(package)-$(version)/$$i.bak; \
+	   echo "eval 'exec $(PERL) -S $$$""0 $$""{1+\"$$$""@\"}'"         > bin/$(platform)/$(package)-$(version)/$$i; \
+	   echo "      if $$""running_under_some_shell;"                  >> bin/$(platform)/$(package)-$(version)/$$i; \
+	   echo $$"bindir='$(bindir)';"                                   >> bin/$(platform)/$(package)-$(version)/$$i; \
+	   echo $$"libdir='$(real_libdir)';"                              >> bin/$(platform)/$(package)-$(version)/$$i; \
+	   echo $$"datadir='$(real_datadir)';"                            >> bin/$(platform)/$(package)-$(version)/$$i; \
+	   cat bin/$(platform)/$(package)-$(version)/$(package).prl       >> bin/$(platform)/$(package)-$(version)/$$i; \
+	   $(CHMOD) $(BIN_PERMS) bin/$(platform)/$(package)-$(version)/$$i; \
+	   echo "Done."; \
+	done
 
+#
+# The vaguely funky eval 'exec ...' echo line above *might* be
+# a tad too much for some `make's - here's what it should return
+# if all is well:
+#
+#   eval 'exec /installed/path/for/perl -S $0 ${1+"$@"}'
+#         if $running_under_some_shell;
+#
 
+mk-version-symlinks ::
+	@for i in $(VERSION_SYMLINKS_FOR) ""; do \
+	  if [ "x$$i" != "x" ]; then \
+	     echo "Symlinking $$i to $$i-$(version)"; \
+	     (cd bin/$(platform)/$(package)-$(version); $(RM) $$i-$(version); $(LN_S) $$i $$i-$(version) ); \
+	  fi;\
+	done
 
-package   = ghc
-version   = 2.02
-PERL      = @PerlCmd@
+in-place ::
+	$(MAKE) $(MFLAGS) config-pkgs bindir=`pwd`/bin/$(platform)/$(package)-$(version) libdir=`pwd`/lib/$(platform) datadir=`pwd`/share/$(package)-$(version)
+	$(MAKE) $(MFLAGS) mk-version-symlinks
+	@echo "Finished configuring..to use, add `pwd`/bin/$(platform)/$(package)-$(version) to your PATH."
 
-.PHONY: config install install-dirs
+install-dirs ::
+	$(INSTALL_DIR) $(bindir)
+	(cd lib/$(platform)/$(package)-$(version); find . -type d -exec sh -c '$(INSTALL_DIR) $0 $(real_libdir)/$0' {} \; )
+	(cd share/$(package)-$(version); find . -type d -exec sh -c '$(INSTALL_DIR) $0 $(real_datadir)/$0' {} \; )
 
-config:
-	@echo Configuring $(package), version $(version), on $(platform)
-	@RM `pwd`/bin/$(platform)/$(package)-$(version)/$(package)-$(version)
-	@RM `pwd`/bin/$(platform)/$(package)-$(version)/$(package)
-	@echo $(PerlCmd)                  > `pwd`/bin/$(platform)/$(package)
-	@echo "$""bindir='"`pwd`"/bin/$(platform)/$(package)-$(version)';"    >> `pwd`/bin/$(platform)/$(package)-$(version)/$(package)
-	@echo "$""libdir='"`pwd`"/lib/$(platform)/$(package)-$(version)';"    >> `pwd`/bin/$(platform)/$(package)-$(version)/$(package)
-	@echo "$""datadir='"`pwd`"/share/$(platform)/$(package)-$(version)';" >> `pwd`/bin/$(platform)/$(package)-$(version)/$(package)
-	@cat `pwd`/bin/$(platform)/$(package)-$(version)/$(package).prl';"    >> `pwd`/bin/$(platform)/$(package)-$(version)/$(package)
-	@(cd `pwd`/bin/$(platform)/$(package)-$(version); $(LN_S) $(package) $(package)-$(version) )
-	@echo Finished..to use, add `pwd`/bin/$(platform)/$(package)-$(version) to your PATH.
+install :: config-pkgs mk-version-symlinks install-dirs install-bin install-libs install-data
 
-libdirs  = . imports include
-datadirs = . include
+.PHONY: install-bin install-libs install-datas
 
-install-dirs:
-	$(MKDIRHIER) $(bindir) 
-	@for i in $(libdirs) ; do \
-	  echo (MKDIRHIER) $(real_libdir)/$$i; \
-	  (MKDIRHIER) $(real_libdir)/$$i; \
-	done;
-	@for i in $(datadirs) ; do \
-	  echo (MKDIRHIER) $(real_datadir)/$$i; \
-	  (MKDIRHIER) $(real_datadir)/$$i; \
+install-bin:
+	for i in $(PACKAGE_BINS); do \
+	   $(INSTALL_BIN) bin/$(platform)/$(package)-$(version)/$$i $(bindir); \
 	done;
+	for in in $(VERSION_SYMLINKS_FOR) ""; do \
+	   if [ "x$$i" != "x"]; then \
+	   	$(INSTALL_BIN) bin/$(platform)/$(package)-$(version)/$$i $(bindir); \
+	   fi; \
+	done
 
-install : install-dirs
 
-install :
-	$(INSTALL_PROGRAM) `pwd`/bin/$(platform)/$(package)-$(version)/* $(bindir)
-	@for i in $(libdirs); do \
-	   echo $(INSTALL) `pwd`/lib/$(platform)/$(package)-$(version)/$$i/* $(real_libdir)/$$i; \
-	   $(INSTALL) `pwd`/lib/$(platform)/$(package)-$(version)/$$i/* $(real_libdir)/$$i; \
-	done; 
-	@for i in $(datadirs); do \
-	   echo $(INSTALL) `pwd`/share/$(package)-$(version)/$$i/* $(real_datadir)/$$i; \
-	   $(INSTALL) `pwd`/share/$(package)-$(version)/$$i/* $(real_datadir)/$$i; \
-	done; 
+install-libs:
+	(cd lib/$(platform)/$(package)-$(version); find . -type f -exec sh -c '$(INSTALL_LIB) $0 $(real_libdir)/$0' {} \; )
 
-install-docs : install-info install-html install-dvi
+install-datas:
+	(cd share/$(package)-$(version); find . -type f -exec sh -c '$(INSTALL_DATA) $0 $(real_datadir)/$0' {} \; )
 
-install-dirs-html:
-	$(MKDIRHIER) $(htmldir) 
+show-install-setup:
+	@echo "Install setup..."
+	@echo "bindir  = $(bindir)"
+	@echo "libdir  = $(libdir) (real_libdir  = $(real_libdir))"
+	@echo "datadir = $(datadir) (real_datadir = $(real_datadir))"
 
-install-dirs-info:
-	$(MKDIRHIER) $(infodir) 
+#
+# Documentation targets, install-docs for the whole lot, or
+# install-{dvi,html,info}
+#
 
-install-dirs-dvi:
-	$(MKDIRHIER) $(dvidir) 
+.PHONY: show-install-setup install-docs install-html install-info install-dirs-dvi install-dirs-html install-dirs-info
 
-install-docs : install-html install-info install-dvi 
+install-docs : install-html install-dvi install-info
 
 install-dvi: install-dirs-dvi
-	$(INSTALL) `pwd`/dvi/$(package)-$(version)/* $(dvidir)
+	$(INSTALL_DATA) dvi/$(package)-$(version)/* $(dvidir)
 
 install-info: install-dirs-info
-	$(INSTALL) `pwd`/info/$(package)-$(version)/* $(infodir)
+	$(INSTALL_DATA) info/$(package)-$(version)/* $(infodir)
 
 install-html: install-dirs-html
-	$(INSTALL) `pwd`/html/$(package)-$(version)/* $(htmldir)
+	$(INSTALL_DATA) html/$(package)-$(version)/* $(htmldir)
+
+install-dirs-html:
+	$(INSTALL_DIR) $(htmldir) 
+
+install-dirs-info:
+	$(INSTALL_DIR) $(infodir) 
+
+install-dirs-dvi:
+	$(INSTALL_DIR) $(dvidir) 
 
diff --git a/distrib/PATCHLEVEL b/distrib/PATCHLEVEL
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3d0c392052
--- /dev/null
+++ b/distrib/PATCHLEVEL
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+The Glamorous Glasgow Haskell Compiler, version 2.02, patchlevel 0
diff --git a/distrib/README b/distrib/README
index f509e56816..83f3a8e019 100644
--- a/distrib/README
+++ b/distrib/README
@@ -1,21 +1,8 @@
-This is the root directory for functional-programming tools
-distributed by the Computing Science Department at Glasgow University.
-Simon Peyton Jones <simonpj@dcs.gla.ac.uk> is the ringleader of this
-effort.  The tools are:
+This is the README for a binary distribution of the
+functional-programming tools, distributed by the Computing Science
+Department at Glasgow University. Simon Peyton Jones
+<simonpj@dcs.gla.ac.uk> is the ringleader of this effort. 
 
-    ghc		the Glasgow Haskell compilation system
-    hslibs	collection of Haskell libraries
-    haggis	the Haggis GUI toolkit
-    happy	the Happy Haskell parser generator
-    nofib	the NoFib Haskell benchmarking suite
-    literate	the Glasgow "literate programming" system
-    mkworld	configuration system (derived from X11 imake)
-    glafp-utils shared utility programs
+For more information on what this bundle contains, please
+consult the ANNOUNCE and INSTALL file.
 
-The "literate" stuff is usually distributed *with* other systems, but
-not necessarily.  Components which are always part of a distribution
-(never stand-alone) are "glafp-utils" and "mkworld" (a configuration
-system).
-
-There is usually an ANNOUNCE* file with any distribution.  Please
-consult that, or the <piece>/README file, to find out how to proceed.
diff --git a/distrib/configure-bin.in b/distrib/configure-bin.in
index 88579d28b7..fa7e5ef529 100644
--- a/distrib/configure-bin.in
+++ b/distrib/configure-bin.in
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ dnl
 #!/bin/sh
 #
 
+# Is it there?
 AC_INIT(Makefile.in)
 
 #
@@ -20,7 +21,7 @@ TargetPlatform=`/bin/sh $srcdir/config.sub $target` || exit 1
 # Suitable names to slam in *_CPP are in platform.h.in.
 # We also record the architecture, vendor, and operating system (OS)
 # separately.
-case $HostPlatform in
+case $TargetPlatform in
 alpha-dec-osf[[1234]]*)
 	TargetPlatform=alpha-dec-osf1;;
 hppa1.1-hp-hpux*)
@@ -42,9 +43,9 @@ m68k-next-nextstep2)
 m68k-next-nextstep3)
 	TargetPlatform=m68k-next-nextstep3;;
 i[[3456]]86-next-nextstep3)
-	TargetPlatform=i386-next-nextstep3
+	TargetPlatform=i386-next-nextstep3;;
 m68k-sun-sunos4*)
-	TargetPlatform=m68k-sun-sunos4 #hack
+	TargetPlatform=m68k-sun-sunos4;;
 mips-dec-ultrix*)
         TargetPlaformP=mips-dec-ultrix;;
 mips-sgi-irix*)
@@ -60,41 +61,16 @@ sparc-sun-solaris2*)
         exit 1
         ;;
 esac
-echo "Which we'll canonicalise into: $TargetPlatform"
+echo "Which we'll further canonicalise into: $TargetPlatform"
 
-platform=$TargetPlatform
-AC_SUBST(platform)
+AC_SUBST(TargetPlatform)
 
 AC_CHECK_PROG(PerlCmd,perl,$ac_dir/$ac_word)
 if test -z "$PerlCmd"; then
     echo "You must install perl before you can continue"
     echo "Perhaps it is already installed, but not in your PATH?"
-    exit 1
-else
-    $PerlCmd -v >conftest.out 2>&1
-    if egrep "version 4" conftest.out >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-        if egrep "Patch level: 35" conftest.out >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-            echo "
-************************************************************************
-Uh-oh...looks like you have Perl 4.035.
-
-Perl version 4.035 has a bug to do with recursion that will bite if
-you run the lit2texi script, when making Info files from
-literate files of various sorts.  Either use the current version
-(4.036), an older version (e.g., perl 4.019) or apply the patch in
-glafp-utils/perl-4.035-fixes to your 4.035 perl.
-************************************************************************
-"
-        fi
-    else
-	if egrep "version 5" conftest.out >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-	    :
-	else
-	    echo "I'm not sure if your version of perl will work,"
-	    echo "but it's worth a shot, eh?"
-	fi
-    fi
-    rm -fr conftest*
+    echo ""
+    echo "Continuing, assuming perl will be available as: perl"
 fi
 #
 dnl ** does #!.../perl work? (sometimes it's too long...)
@@ -120,12 +96,13 @@ else
     echo "I think your perl library is misinstalled."
     echo "The following script did not work:"
     echo '      do "getopts.pl" || exit(1); exit(0);'
-    exit 1
+    echo "But, nevermind, let us continue.."
 fi
 
 dnl ** figure out how to do a BSD-ish install
 #
 AC_PROG_INSTALL
+AC_PROG_LN_S()
 #