OORexx 5.0

Cruz, Jaime

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Jul 30, 2020, 8:47:07 PM7/30/20

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This has been in beta for quite a long time. Any idea when it might go
GA? I ask because you cannot install 4.2 under the latest LTS version
of Ubuntu (or the latest version of Linux Mint). You MUST install 5.0,
but I'm concerned that it is only a beta version...

Gil Barmwater

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Jul 31, 2020, 1:21:47 PM7/31/20

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Well, it's a beta ONLY because we can't seem to get the development team
to do what is required to make it a full release, not because it has
unfixed bugs. I actively use the latest builds and have experienced NO
problems. As it fixes many of the issues that are part of 4.2 as well as
providing a LOT of new features and enhancements, I would strongly
suggest that you give it a try. I'm sure you will be happy with the result!

--
Gil Barmwater

Andy McMenemy

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Aug 1, 2020, 3:37:37 AM8/1/20

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I concur with Gil. I’ve been using the V5 beta for about a year now on Mac and on Linux and it seems rock solid to me.

Andy

Cruz, Jaime

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Aug 1, 2020, 9:58:53 AM8/1/20

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Thank you. I have it installed on my Ubuntu 20.04LTS and Linux Mint 20
VM test sessions, and so far haven't seen any issues. I did notice I had
to change the first (comment line) in order to get my scripts to work
with 5.0 and that the change also works with 4.2, so I've already
updated all of my scripts on my "live" systems in preparation for the
upgrades.

--
Jaime A. Cruz

Nassau Wings Motorcycle Club
http://www.nassauwings.org/

AMA District 34
https://www.amad34.org/

Gil Barmwater

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Aug 1, 2020, 10:21:23 AM8/1/20

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If you don't mind sharing, I'n curious as to what you needed to change
in the first line that was keeping 5.0.0 from working?

Gil B.

Gil Barmwater

Cruz, Jaime

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Aug 2, 2020, 9:30:02 AM8/2/20

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On 8/1/20 10:21 AM, Gil Barmwater wrote:
> If you don't mind sharing, I'n curious as to what you needed to change
> in the first line that was keeping 5.0.0 from working?
>
> Gil B.

I don't think I have a copy of a script with the old comment line. The
new comment line is:

#!/usr/bin/env rexx

The old one pointed to the directory where the REXX interpreter lived,
but it seems that 5.0 gets installed into a different directory. The
comment above works with both 4.2 and 5.0

Gil Barmwater

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Aug 2, 2020, 10:40:40 AM8/2/20

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Ah, yes that was to be expected. There was a LOT of discussion among the
developers about the "proper" location for ooRexx to be installed on
*nix-like systems. We believe we now have it "right" but it is different
than it was for 4.2.0 so the hash-bang line was impacted. Sorry for the
extra work that caused you. I'll make sure the documentation covers that
change and its impact on existing shell scripts. As you've discovered,
there is a way to make the hash-bang line independent of the installed
location so it will work regardless of where ooRexx resides.

Gil B.

On 8/2/2020 9:29 AM, Cruz, Jaime wrote:
> On 8/1/20 10:21 AM, Gil Barmwater wrote:
>> If you don't mind sharing, I'n curious as to what you needed to change
>> in the first line that was keeping 5.0.0 from working?
>>
>> Gil B.
>
>
> I don't think I have a copy of a script with the old comment line. The
> new comment line is:
>
> #!/usr/bin/env rexx
>
> The old one pointed to the directory where the REXX interpreter lived,
> but it seems that 5.0 gets installed into a different directory. The
> comment above works with both 4.2 and 5.0
> --

Gil Barmwater

Cruz, Jaime

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Aug 4, 2020, 8:31:45 PM8/4/20

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On 8/2/20 10:40 AM, Gil Barmwater wrote:
> Ah, yes that was to be expected. There was a LOT of discussion among the
> developers about the "proper" location for ooRexx to be installed on
> *nix-like systems. We believe we now have it "right" but it is different
> than it was for 4.2.0 so the hash-bang line was impacted. Sorry for the
> extra work that caused you. I'll make sure the documentation covers that
> change and its impact on existing shell scripts. As you've discovered,
> there is a way to make the hash-bang line independent of the installed
> location so it will work regardless of where ooRexx resides.
>

> Gil Barmwater

Wasn't that hard. I found the sample scripts that were bundled and
looked at them to figure out how they were working. That's how I
learned of the new requirement.

It was the same when I first started using OORexx under Linux (from
first OS/2 and then Windows). I had to change the opening "/*" comment
line to the correct "hash-bang" in order to get them to work.