Hi,

due to recent needs, I wrote a little script to simplify the installation of a GPC *binary* distribution into *another* directory than it was intended.

To explain the situation: The gpc executable uses some files (e.g. the preprocessor gpc-cccp, the actual compiler gpc1 and the runtime library libgpc.a) which are usually stored in a directory <prefix>/lib/gcc-lib/<target>/<version>/. The <prefix>, i.e. the base directory for the GPC installation, can be specified while building GPC, and is then hard-coded into the gpc executable. When using gpc, it can be overridden with a `-B' option (for gpc-cccp and gpc1) and a `-L' option (for libgpc.a).

The purpose of the install-gpc-binary script is just to create another script which calls gpc with those two options (in addition to any options given on the command-line). It examines the installed GPC binary distribution to find out the correct directories. The script created will be called gpc, and should be in the PATH, while the actual gpc executable should not be in the PATH, so calling `gpc' will invoke the script. Then, `gpc' can be used just like a gpc installed in the normal way, which is quite useful for using third-party Makefiles etc.

Who needs this script?

Those who get a binary distribution of GPC and don't install it into the right directory. These are usually not PC (including Linux) users, because most of them have root access and can install GPC into the right directory. There are also usually not system administrators of multi-user machines (who have root access and usually will prefer to build their software themselves, anyway). So, these are e.g. users on multi-user machines who can't convince their admins to install GPC for them, or just need it quickly, and/or don't have enough space in their home to build GPC...

How to use it?

- Get a GPC binary for your system, and the install-gpc-binary script. The script is available in the same FTP directories on agnes as the GPC binaries, i.e.:

ftp://agnes.dida.physik.uni-essen.de/gnu-pascal/beta/binary/install-gpc-binary ftp://agnes.dida.physik.uni-essen.de/gnu-pascal/alpha/binary/install-gpc-binary

- Unpack the GPC binary into any directory (but don't move it around after running the script).

- Change into its "base" directory -- e.g. if the archive unpacks into usr/local/bin/..., usr/local/lib/..., etc. (below the current directory), change into usr/local, or move the contents of usr/local up to the current directory. In any case, the bin and lib directories should now be subdirectories of the current directory (the script will make sure this was done correctly).

- Run this script and answer a few simple questions.

- That's all. If you set your $PATH appropriately, you can now invoke `gpc' in the normal way.

Frank