6 ms·

Making ASDF more magic by making it less magic

43 points by ghosthamlet 8y ago

nerdponx 8y ago
The upside of the Unix way is greater parallelizability, which allows for greater speed on newer multi-processor machines Why is this true? Because parallel/shared memory access is hard to get right?
- Jtsummers 8y ago
  The UNIX way doesn't involve shared memory in that sense, unless multiple processes are modifying the same files at the same time (known to be a bad idea). Instead it's more akin to go's channels and go procs. Use text between unix processes.
  - nerdponx 8y ago
    I was asking about the Lisp, way, which it said was harder to parallelize because everything was held in memory.
- stutonk 8y ago
  In context, I believe the author means that having a build system which splits into independent, simultaneously executing processes (such as `make -j 5` or some such) tends to have an advantage over ASDF's monolithic process model which doesn't take full advantage of multiple cores/CPUs.
- JoachimSchipper 8y ago
  AFAIK, Common Lisp doesn't have a portable threading/multiprocess story, and asdf appears to target the standard / lowest common denominator.
  - armitron 8y ago
    This is inaccurate, for threads see: https://common-lisp.net/project/bordeaux-threads/ https://common-lisp.net/project/bordeaux-threads/ For processes, ASDF comes with UIOP which contains portable code for multiprocessing (among other things).
    - lispm 8y ago
      But that does not make the compiler thread safe. 'Unix way' to compilation: possibly parallel compile activities by running multiple compiler instances as programs 'ASDF way' to compilation: compile multiple files in a serialized fashion using one Lisp image for compilation To run multiple compile activities inside one Lisp image, one would require that something like the file compiler is thread safe and corresponding stuff implemented by the program in the compile-time environment is thread-safe, too.
mynewtb 8y ago
> ASDF, the Common Lisp build system
- xellisx 8y ago
  Thanks for the click saving!
- WalterGR 8y ago
  It goes on > In the spirit of the original Lisp DEFSYSTEM, it compiles and loads software... ASDF stands for Another System Definition Facility.
Jaruzel 8y ago
Off topic, but my first thought was 'omg, a livejournal link. people still use that!?"

43 points by ghosthamlet 8y ago

The upside of the Unix way is greater parallelizability, which allows for greater speed on newer multi-processor machines Why is this true? Because parallel/shared memory access is hard to get right?

Jtsummers 8y ago
The UNIX way doesn't involve shared memory in that sense, unless multiple processes are modifying the same files at the same time (known to be a bad idea). Instead it's more akin to go's channels and go procs. Use text between unix processes.
- nerdponx 8y ago
  I was asking about the Lisp, way, which it said was harder to parallelize because everything was held in memory.
stutonk 8y ago
In context, I believe the author means that having a build system which splits into independent, simultaneously executing processes (such as `make -j 5` or some such) tends to have an advantage over ASDF's monolithic process model which doesn't take full advantage of multiple cores/CPUs.
JoachimSchipper 8y ago
AFAIK, Common Lisp doesn't have a portable threading/multiprocess story, and asdf appears to target the standard / lowest common denominator.
- armitron 8y ago
  This is inaccurate, for threads see: https://common-lisp.net/project/bordeaux-threads/ https://common-lisp.net/project/bordeaux-threads/ For processes, ASDF comes with UIOP which contains portable code for multiprocessing (among other things).
  - lispm 8y ago
    But that does not make the compiler thread safe. 'Unix way' to compilation: possibly parallel compile activities by running multiple compiler instances as programs 'ASDF way' to compilation: compile multiple files in a serialized fashion using one Lisp image for compilation To run multiple compile activities inside one Lisp image, one would require that something like the file compiler is thread safe and corresponding stuff implemented by the program in the compile-time environment is thread-safe, too.

mynewtb 8y ago

> ASDF, the Common Lisp build system

xellisx 8y ago
Thanks for the click saving!
WalterGR 8y ago
It goes on > In the spirit of the original Lisp DEFSYSTEM, it compiles and loads software... ASDF stands for Another System Definition Facility.

Jaruzel 8y ago

Off topic, but my first thought was 'omg, a livejournal link. people still use that!?"