[gentoo-dev] Re: RFC: GLEP rap (Prefix/libc)

[Duncan]

heroxbd posted on Mon, 12 Aug 2013 16:45:56 +0900 as excerpted:

> I have made a GLEP draft to standardize our recent effort on using our
> own libc from portage inside Prefix.
>
> At present only glibc on linux is supported.
>
> The rst text are included inline.

Hi.  I know nothing about prefix so won't attempt a comment on that.  
There were, however, just a few sentences that did not read very smoothly 
to me as a native English speaker, so here are some (relatively minor) 
suggested changes.  Mostly, I'm simply adding a few "the"s and changing 
verb tense in a few spots, but there's a couple sentence splitting/
combining/rewording suggestions as well.

> Motivation ==========

...

> RAP
>     Literally means *Rap Ain't Prefix*.  It serves as an acronym of
>     *Prefix with libc* and is used interchangeably in this GLEP.
>
> Userspace of RAP is identical to Gentoo Linux, therefore more uniform
> and robust.  RAP helps the ongoing effort of merging prefix and gx86
> portage trees [#pgx86]_.

THE userspace of RAP is ... (Insert "The". I'll use ALL CAPS to denote 
most of my changes.)

Kudos for the self-referential name, BTW! =:^)

> Thanks to the completely independent userspace, RAP can run on any
> kernel that glibc was ported to

... that glibc HAS BEEN ported to ... (not was)

> Rationale =========
>
> Gentoo Linux, though often cited as *metadistribution*, originates from
> a Linux distribution.  Linux is supported better in Gentoo.  In Prefix
> community, the merging of prefix and gx86 portage trees [#pgx86]_ is
> brought back by non-Linux systems such as Mac OS X and Solaris.

This paragraph read really rough for me, likely even more so as I'm not 
familiar enough with prefix to be sure what you're actually trying to 
say.  However, this is my best guess (again, changes in ALL CAPS):

... originatED AS a Linux distribution, AND Linux REMAINS BEST 
supported.  In THE Prefix community, ...

(Put "originated" in past tense.  Replace "from" with "as".  Merge the 
two sentences using "and" and reword slightly since the second is so 
closely related to the first.  "The" prefix community...)

I /believe/ there's a further problem later in that sentence (... is 
brought back...), but I'm simply not familiar enough with prefix to have 
a clue what the intended meaning was or to suggest better wording.  
Hopefully someone else with better knowledge of the domain can suggest 
something... or confirm that it's fine as-is and I simply didn't know 
what I was talking about.

> Backwards Compatibility =======================
>
> RAP cannot be mixed with present Prefix Linux implementation based on
> rpath if version of the host glibc is too low.

... cannot be mixed with THE present ... based on rpath if THE version 
of...

> Specification =============
>
> Present Prefix Linux uses *rpath mechanism* [#rpath]_, namely encode a
> prefixed library path into RPATH and RUNPATH in dynamic section of ELF.

PresentLY, Prefix Linux uses THE *rpath mechanism* [#rpath]_.  Namely, 
encode a prefixed library path into RPATH and RUNPATH in THE dynamic...

("PresentLY", comma.  Add a couple "the"s.  If you keep "namely", split 
the sentence in half.)

Another alternative (the way I'd likely word it myself) would change the 
tense to "encoding" and skip "namely":

Presently, Prefix Linux uses the *rpath mechanism* [#rpath]_, encoding a 
prefixed library path into RPATH and RUNPATH in the dynamic...

> RAP, on the other hand, encode a prefixed dynamic loader into INTERP in
> the program header of ELF.

RAP, on the other hand, ENCODES a prefixed dynamic loader into INTERP in 
the ELF program header.

(Change the tense of "encode", reorder to "ELF program header" and omit 
"of".)

> RAP is different with present Prefix Linux in toolchain, while identical
> in portage tree and portage itself.

RAP's toolchain differs from that of present Prefix Linux but uses the 
same portage and portage tree.

Alternatively, reorder/reword and combine that paragraph with the next 
one:

RAP uses the same portage and portage tree as present Prefix Linux but 
differs in toolchain, which includes kernel headers(trivial), libc(glibc), 
compiler(gcc) and linker(binutils).  We focus our discussion on the last 
three parts as well as a portage profile to hold things together.

(Reworded/combined, and the last sentence simply adds an "a" in front of 
"portage profile".)

> Portage Profile
> ---------------
> Profile of RAP is put into features/rap, it defines `prefix` and `rap`
> keywords.
>
> Arch specific profiles are put into default/linux/${ARCH}/13.0/rap,
> and having features/rap as parent.

RAP's feature profile WILL BE features/rap.  IT WILL define `prefix` and 
`rap` keywords.

Arch specific profiles WILL HAVE features/rap as A parent and WILL APPEAR 
AS default/linux/${ARCH}/13.0/rap

(Future tense "will", rewording.)

....

Meanwhile, thanks both to you and to everyone working on prefix in all 
its forms, RAP (which sounds really good to me; I can envision myself 
running it should the need arise, something I've never seen myself doing 
with current prefix) and otherwise.  While I don't (currently) use prefix 
myself, I believe it's an important project and am very glad it's 
available for those gentooers who find themselves working on other 
platforms where they'd like to have gentoo available as well. =:^)

-- 
Duncan - List replies preferred.   No HTML msgs.
"Every nonfree program has a lord, a master --
and if you use the program, he is your master."  Richard Stallman