4 If you want to compile MLton, you must first get the <:Sources:>. You
5 can compile with either MLton or SML/NJ, but we strongly recommend
6 using MLton, since it generates a much faster and more robust
9 == Compiling with MLton ==
11 To compile with MLton, you need the binary versions of `mlton`,
12 `mllex`, and `mlyacc` that come with the MLton binary package. To be
13 safe, you should use the same version of MLton that you are building.
14 However, older versions may work, as long as they don't go back too
15 far. To build MLton, run `make` from within the root directory of the
16 sources. This will build MLton first with the already installed
17 binary version of MLton and will then rebuild MLton with itself.
19 First, the `Makefile` calls `mllex` and `mlyacc` to build the lexer
20 and parser, and then calls `mlton` to compile itself. When making
21 MLton using another version the `Makefile` automatically uses
22 `mlton-stubs.mlb`, which will put in enough stubs to emulate the
23 `structure MLton`. Once MLton is built, the `Makefile` will rebuild
24 MLton with itself, this time using `mlton.mlb` and the real
25 `structure MLton` from the <:BasisLibrary:Basis Library>. This second round
26 of compilation is essential in order to achieve a fast and robust
29 Compiling MLton requires at least 1GB of RAM for 32-bit platforms (2GB is
30 preferable) and at least 2GB RAM for 64-bit platforms (4GB is preferable).
31 If your machine has less RAM, self-compilation will
32 likely fail, or at least take a very long time due to paging. Even if
33 you have enough memory, there simply may not be enough available, due
34 to memory consumed by other processes. In this case, you may see an
35 `Out of memory` message, or self-compilation may become extremely
36 slow. The only fix is to make sure that enough memory is available.
38 === Possible Errors ===
40 * The C compiler may not be able to find the <:GnuMP:> header file,
41 `gmp.h` leading to an error like the following.
44 cenv.h:49:18: fatal error: gmp.h: No such file or directory
47 The solution is to install (or build) GnuMP on your machine. If you
48 install it at a location not on the default seach path, then run
49 ++make WITH_GMP_INC_DIR=__/path/to/gmp/include__ WITH_GMP_LIB_DIR=__/path/to/gmp/lib__++.
51 * The following errors indicates that a binary version of MLton could
52 not be found in your path.
55 /bin/sh: mlton: command not found
59 make[2]: mlton: Command not found
62 You need to have `mlton` in your path to build MLton from source.
64 During the build process, there are various times that the `Makefile`-s
65 look for a `mlton` in your path and in `src/build/bin`. It is OK if
66 the latter doesn't exist when the build starts; it is the target being
67 built. Failure to find a `mlton` in your path will abort the build.
70 == Compiling with SML/NJ ==
72 To compile with SML/NJ, run `make bootstrap-smlnj` from within the
73 root directory of the sources. You must use a recent version of
74 SML/NJ. First, the `Makefile` calls `ml-lex` and `ml-yacc` to build
75 the lexer and parser. Then, it calls SML/NJ with the appropriate
76 `sources.cm` file. Once MLton is built with SML/NJ, the `Makefile`
77 will rebuild MLton with this SML/NJ built MLton and then will rebuild
78 MLton with the MLton built MLton. Building with SML/NJ takes
79 significant time (particularly during the "`parseAndElaborate`" phase
80 when the SML/NJ built MLton is compiling MLton). Unless you are doing
81 compiler development and need rapid recompilation, we recommend