- The Glasgow Haskell Compiler -- version 2.09
+ The Glasgow Haskell Compiler -- version 4.02
==============================================
We are pleased to announce a new release of the Glasgow Haskell
-Compiler (GHC), version 2.09. Source distribution is freely available
-via the World-Wide Web and through anon. FTP; details below.
+Compiler (GHC), version 4.02. The source distribution is freely
+available via the World-Wide Web and through anon. FTP; details below.
Haskell is "the" standard lazy functional programming language; the
-current language version is 1.4, agreed in April, 1997. Haskell
-related information is available from the Haskell home page at
+current language version is Haskell 98, agreed in December 1998.
+Haskell related information is available from the Haskell home page at
http://haskell.org/
+ What's new
=============
-Release 2.09 contains some library changes that may break programs
-using glasgow extensions. The main points:
-
- * PrimIO has been removed, replaced by IO in all places
- (including the type of C calls).
- * The types of IO and ST have changed, to make them more
- efficient. This won't bite you unless you go digging
- around in the IO or ST monads, which you shouldn't...
- * Several extension libraries have been moved to be
- compatible with Hugs. See
-
- ftp://haskell.org/pub/reid/libs971028/libs.html
-
- for the definitions of the new libraries.
- * Several of the interfaces exported by GlaExts are deprecated,
- as they have been moved into common libraries (ST for instance).
- GlaExts will eventually contain only extensions that are
- exclusive to GHC.
-
-We've also fixed several bugs, one space leak, and added better
-handling of warnings (-W, -Wall and -Wnot flags). As usual, see the
-release notes in the Users' Guide for the full story.
+GHC 4.02 fixes several bugs in 4.01 and adds the following features:
+
+ * Full Haskell 98 language support,
+
+ * Scoped type variables,
+
+ * A new generational garbage collector.
+
+The following things have not been fixed yet:
+
+ * The native code generator is still flaky, and is turned off by
+ default for the time being.
+
+ * The profiler is still flaky.
+
+As usual, see the release notes (on the web page) for full details.
+
+A source distribution and binaries for common architectures are
+available from the web page.
+ Mailing lists
================
+ How to get it
================
-The easy way is to go to the WWW GHC distribution page, which should
-be self-explanatory:
+The easy way is to go to the WWW page, which should be
+self-explanatory:
- ftp://ftp.dcs.gla.ac.uk/pub/haskell/glasgow/README.html
+ http://www.dcs.gla.ac.uk/fp/software/ghc/
Once you have the distribution, please follow the pointers in the
README file to find all of the documentation about this release. NB:
+ System requirements
======================
-To compile up this source-only release, you need a machine with 16+MB
-memory, GNU C (`gcc'), `perl' plus a version of GHC installed (either
-version 0.29 or 2.02 onwards). We have seen GHC work on these platforms:
+To compile up this source-only release, you need a machine with 32+MB
+memory, GNU C (`gcc'), `perl' plus a version of GHC installed (version
+2.10 at least, 3.02 recommended). This release is known to work on
+the following platforms:
- * alpha-dec-osf2
- * hppa1.1-hp-hpux{9,10}
+ * i386-unknown-{linux,solaris2,freebsd,cygwin32}
* sparc-sun-{sunos4,solaris2}
+
+Ports to the following platforms should be relatively easy, but
+haven't been tested due to lack of time/hardware:
+
+ * alpha-dec-osf{2,3}
+ * hppa1.1-hp-hpux{9,10}
* mips-sgi-irix{5,6}
- * i386-unknown-{linux,solaris2,freebsd,cygwin32}.
* {rs6000,powerpc}-ibm-aix
-Similar platforms should work with minimal hacking effort. The installer's
-guide included in distribution gives a complete run-down of what-ports-work;
-an on-line version can be found at
-
- http://www.dcs.gla.ac.uk/fp/software/ghc/ghc-doc/install-guide.html
+The installer's guide included in distribution gives a complete
+run-down of what-ports-work; an on-line version can be found at
-EOF
+ http://www.dcs.gla.ac.uk/fp/software/ghc/4.02/installation_guide/installing_toc.html
projects / ghc-hetmet.git / blobdiff