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Re: GNU toolchains for eCos 3.0


Andrew Lunn wrote:
> We get more problems with the GUI configuration tool, which does have
> library version issues etc and it is made worse by it being so hard to
> build, so nobody is really interested in looking after it.

It is. But that is because eCos `configtool' is not GUI configuration
tool. In contrast `ecosconfig' is CLI configuration tool. `configtool'
desires to be an IDE with MDI interface (I'm wrong, it is IDE), but why?
It does configure, resolve conflicts, manage build directories, manage
packages (add, remove), build and run tests. This is too long list of
features just to be a GUI configuration tool. User installs cygwin,
tries to work in cygwin bash, so, why to deprive him/her to type 'make'
to feel him/her self a unix guy and to meditate looking on running
lines? It's joke.

To be a cross-platform GUI configuration tool (not IDE), like `ec' is,
it's enough to have a standalone application written in Tcl/Tk itself.
Why Tcl again? ECOS == CDL, CDL == TCL, so, ECOS == TCL. 

I known what in last century when eCos had been started by Cygnus
Solution, Tk wasn't good enough for Windows.  Today's Tk excellent works
on X (Linux, MAC OS X, FreeBSD), and on all flavors of Windows. Tk 8.5
has an in-built tile extension (ttk -- themed tk, it's look and feel
very nice, ttk::treeview widget displays a hierarchical collection of
items, and we can say, Good bye, wxWindows), Unicode is supported since
Tcl/Tk 8.4. Tcl/Tk 8.5 faster then 8.4 and modern PC faster then PC in
the end of last century.

eCos `configtool' is a care of one active developer working on it. John
Dallaway should support a mixture of C++, Tcl and wxWindows (2.4, 2.6,
2.8) for both platforms. We should realize the fool its horror. It seems
for me what wxWindows is an evil there.

Let's imagine that we would have a light weight GUI configuration tool,
what's care will be to generate ecos.ecc and to build eCos build tree
(like `ecosconfig' does) clicking by mouse. If it's possible to build a
static executable of the `ecosconfig' (C++ and Tcl), so, it will be
possible to build same static executable (C++ and Tcl/Tk), let's give a
name that tool `ecosconfigtoolkit' (Tk == toolkit).

A nice example for this idea is yet another eCos tool were written by
John in 2003. That is ecosadmin.tcl. It's it! It is just a script. It
just works on all platforms. Modern PCs are fast enough to run three
eCos tools (ecosadmin, ecosconfig, ecosconfigtoolkit) which all can be
written just in Tcl/Tk and wrapped in standalone executable using either
free `sdx' tool (http://www.equi4.com/starkit/sdx.html) or commercial
one from ActiveState (their tclapp). No more compile. No more configure
wxWindows stuff. Just pack and use the tools.

I see how some of guys are ready to kick Tk. See the above ECOS == CDL,
CDL == TCL, ECOS == TCL, so, it is certain thing what GUI ECOS == TK.

If someone desire to kick Tk. Please, download, install and try just a
few Tcl/Tk IDEs for windows and linux just to know how is Tcl 8.5 fast
and how does Tk 8.5 look?

    SqliteStudio (2M standalone application)
    http://sqlitestudio.one.pl/index.rvt
    Active TclDevKit
    http://www.activestate.com/products/tcl_dev_kit/
    SNMP SDK from Muonics
    http://www.muonics.com/Products/MIBSmithySDK/

What I propose? I propose to take the eCos `configtool' leave and to use
only `ecosconfig' after that time when eCos 3.0 will be released. If a
need in GUI configuration tool will appear in future (being 3 years on
list I did not see any assistance, like this, "To get a result open a
tab X, then expand that node then check/uncheck that checkbutton". I
saw, "Edit ecos.ecc" or "Import such an ecm file". What should an eCos
newcomer think when he/she reads such proposals?), again, if a need in
GUI tool will appear in future, let's will write this from scratch then.

May be I am wrong. But, every month we get e-mails about eCos configtool
issue. Abraham Maslow said, If the only tool you have is a hammer...
It's happiness what we have two hammers :-)

Sergei

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