[GAP Forum] The Bob package to help compiling GAP from source on linux no longer works

[Alexander Konovalov]

Dear Marcelo,

> On 21 Aug 2015, at 14:22, Marcelo B. Barboza <marcelobbarboza at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> In a not so distant time in the past I used to have success when compiling GAP from source on linux, in general, either on Ubuntu or Fedora, with the package created by Mr Max Neunhoffer to do that. That package used to work like a charm and that's not the case anymore (at least for two of us, in any of our machines!). We both have emailed Mr Neunhoffer but nothing (I'm pretty sure he does not have the time -- I know, I know ;).

thanks for your question. I've managed myself to update BOB twice for GAP 4.7.4 and GAP 4.7.5, but haven't managed to update it when in the next release larger changes were required. It does not work at the moment and is currently unmaintained, but anybody willing to help to get it back to work please start from https://github.com/gap-system/bob.

> I would like to know from you if this is temporary? Are the owners of the website going to keep the link to the package anyway?

If you mean the page http://www.gap-system.org/Download/index.html, then thanks for the pointer - I will edit it to remove currently misleading suggestion. Note that http://www.gap-system.org/Releases/4.7.8.html does not suggest alternative installers knowing that they do not provide GAP 4.7.8.

Best wishes
Alexander

P.S. A different approach which may be interesting as a way to get a reference installation with as many packages in working order as possible is to Docker: see https://github.com/gap-system/gap-docker