[asdf-devel] Alternate default lisp system location

[Robert P. Goldman]

Stelian Ionescu wrote:
> The backwards-compatibility is not complete, though. When we're talking
> about glibc, we're talking about versioning functions and keeping the
> old entry points bug-to-bug compatible for ever while the new version of
> that function is simply an addition.

That's simply not going to happen.  We don't have the level of resources
needed to maintain this level of compatibility, nor is ASDF as critical
as glibc.

It's not reasonable to expect that level of backwards compatibility for
ASDF.  Nor should we: Windows is a good example of where that particular
Pied Piper can lead you.  At some point it's better to throw away the old.

But look at what we have achieved (under Faré's leadership):
compatibility with (at least) SBCL, ACL, Lispworks, CCL, ABCL, ECL,
clisp, Genera (!), SCL, gcl (?), mkcl.  We provide more backwards
compatibility than most (all?) CL implementations!

Yours,
R