OORexx 5.0

[Cruz, Jaime]

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]

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...

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!

[Andy McMenemy]

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]

Post by Gil Barmwater

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...

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!

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.

[Gil Barmwater]

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.

Post by Gil Barmwater

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...

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!

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.
--

Gil Barmwater

[Cruz, Jaime]

Post by Gil Barmwater
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]

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.

Post by Gil Barmwater
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
#!/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]

Post by Gil Barmwater
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.