[Bug web/53919] New: Version-specific install instructions not available

[Bug web/53919] New: Version-specific install instructions not available

[schnetter at gmail dot com]

http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=53919

             Bug #: 53919
           Summary: Version-specific install instructions not available
    Classification: Unclassified
           Product: gcc
           Version: 4.7.1
            Status: UNCONFIRMED
          Severity: normal
          Priority: P3
         Component: web
        AssignedTo: unassigned@gcc.gnu.org
        ReportedBy: schnetter@gmail.com


The gcc web site does not seem to list version-specific install instructions.
This is inconvenient, since e.g. prerequisites or other details may differ
significantly between different versions.

<http://gcc.gnu.org/install/> shows install instructions, but these seem to
pertain to the (unreleased) trunk. Unfortunately, this fact is not even
mentioned.

<http://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/> only has the manual, not the install
instructions.

The online install instructions should prominently mention that they are not
valid for any released version, and that one should download the release and
read those install instructions instead. Alternatively, the version-specific
install instructions should be added next to the online manual.

[Bug web/53919] Version-specific install instructions not available

[redi at gcc dot gnu.org]

http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=53919

--- Comment #1 from Jonathan Wakely <redi at gcc dot gnu.org> 2012-07-10 17:41:19 UTC ---
(In reply to comment #0)
> The online install instructions should prominently mention that they are not
> valid for any released version

They generally are valid.

[Bug web/53919] Version-specific install instructions not available

[schnetter at gmail dot com]

http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=53919

--- Comment #2 from Erik Schnetter <schnetter at gmail dot com> 2012-07-10 18:26:53 UTC ---
I am currently installing gcc 4.7.1, and and dealing with the prerequisites.
gmp 5.x was not recognised as valid version; I had to install gmp 4.x instead.
Finding a valid combination of ppl/cloog/isl versions was another issue: after
downloading and installing isl, I found that gcc 4.7.1 doesn't even offer the
respective configuration option.

These may just be "details" in the prerequisites, but it is just these details
that I am looking for in the install instructions.

I appreciate that the instructions generally don't change that much between
versions, but the same can probably be said about the manual -- new options,
new optimisations, and new architectures tend to be few among a large bulk of
things that remain the same. Yet, the web site makes a clear distinctions
between manuals for different versions, and doesn't even seem to offer an
online manual for the trunk.

[Bug web/53919] Version-specific install instructions not available

[redi at gcc dot gnu.org]

http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=53919

--- Comment #3 from Jonathan Wakely <redi at gcc dot gnu.org> 2012-07-10 18:36:34 UTC ---
(In reply to comment #2)
> between manuals for different versions, and doesn't even seem to offer an
> online manual for the trunk.

Yes it does, at the bottom of the page:
http://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/

[Bug web/53919] Version-specific install instructions not available

[redi at gcc dot gnu.org]

http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=53919

--- Comment #4 from Jonathan Wakely <redi at gcc dot gnu.org> 2012-07-10 18:45:54 UTC ---
... and I was using gmp 5.0.1 with gcc 4.6 over a year ago:
http://advogato.org/person/redi/diary/240.html

If it doesn't work with 4.7 you did something wrong, it's not a problem with
the install docs.

The isl configury has just changed, so that might be invalid for anything but
trunk.

[Bug web/53919] Version-specific install instructions not available

[schnetter at gmail dot com]

http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=53919

--- Comment #5 from Erik Schnetter <schnetter at gmail dot com> 2012-07-10 19:05:01 UTC ---
Yes, the isl changes are part of what I mean. Since the version-specific
install instructions are already there, they may as well be available on the
web, and/or the web could warn about such possible differences.

[Bug web/53919] Version-specific install instructions not available

[rguenth at gcc dot gnu.org]

http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=53919

Richard Guenther <rguenth at gcc dot gnu.org> changed:

           What    |Removed                     |Added
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Status|UNCONFIRMED                 |NEW
   Last reconfirmed|                            |2012-07-11
     Ever Confirmed|0                           |1

--- Comment #6 from Richard Guenther <rguenth at gcc dot gnu.org> 2012-07-11 07:38:01 UTC ---
Confirmed.

[Bug web/53919] Version-specific install instructions not available

[pinskia at gcc dot gnu.org]

http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=53919

Andrew Pinski <pinskia at gcc dot gnu.org> changed:

           What    |Removed                     |Added
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Status|NEW                         |RESOLVED
         Resolution|                            |INVALID

--- Comment #7 from Andrew Pinski <pinskia at gcc dot gnu.org> 2012-07-12 03:25:12 UTC ---
They are part of the specific release and not part of the web site. look inside
the INSTALL directory in the toplevel directory.

[Bug web/53919] Version-specific install instructions not available

[schnetter at gmail dot com]

http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=53919

Erik Schnetter <schnetter at gmail dot com> changed:

           What    |Removed                     |Added
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Status|RESOLVED                    |REOPENED
         Resolution|INVALID                     |

--- Comment #8 from Erik Schnetter <schnetter at gmail dot com> 2012-07-12 14:43:59 UTC ---
I disagree with this assessment that this report is invalid. This is not a
complaint that I couldn't find the right instructions, this is a suggestion for
improving the web site. Since I mentioned several possibilities, I would
appreciate some guidance as to which way you want things to look, and may then
even come up with a patch.

The instructions on the web speak of "Installing GCC", and do not even mention
that they are not version-specific nor for the current release branch. They
also do not point to the install instructions in the tarball. This is
misleading at best.

In particular, the web instructions speak of "old instructions", but refer only
to "really old instructions", not to instructions for previous releases.

Another issue is that the web instructions refer to released versions when
downloading (suggesting that one should install released versions), and at the
same time list prerequisites that are not applicable to any released version.

[Bug web/53919] Version-specific install instructions not available

[pinskia at gcc dot gnu.org]

http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=53919

--- Comment #9 from Andrew Pinski <pinskia at gcc dot gnu.org> 2012-07-12 16:12:50 UTC ---
I think the install instructions for released versions should never be on the
website and only in the release itself.

[Bug web/53919] Version-specific install instructions not available

[redi at gcc dot gnu.org]

http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=53919

--- Comment #10 from Jonathan Wakely <redi at gcc dot gnu.org> 2012-07-14 13:50:08 UTC ---
Suggested patch to install.texi:
http://gcc.gnu.org/ml/gcc-patches/2012-07/msg00549.html

[Bug web/53919] Version-specific install instructions not available

[redi at gcc dot gnu.org]

http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=53919

--- Comment #11 from Jonathan Wakely <redi at gcc dot gnu.org> 2012-07-16 19:14:26 UTC ---
Author: redi
Date: Mon Jul 16 19:14:18 2012
New Revision: 189545

URL: http://gcc.gnu.org/viewcvs?root=gcc&view=rev&rev=189545
Log:
    PR c++/53919
    * doc/install.texi (Installing GCC): Refer to instructions for
    released versions. Fix hypenation.

Modified:
    trunk/gcc/ChangeLog
    trunk/gcc/doc/install.texi