New mini book: OS setup for Fortran developement

[smeskos]

Hi all, this PR is a follow-up to Issue #134.
The goal is to provide, in a beginners-friendly format, all the necessary steps to choose and install a compiler, as well as it includes information about text-editors and IDEs.
It is not complete and definitely needs "attention"... take it as a template to start building on it.
The part with the text-editors needs a few of you with experience with some of those editors to contribute with "how to configure them".
I am aware that some parts are opinionated, but the topic itself is subjective by nature... choosing compilers, text-editors, or IDEs. Let's discuss them and find a common path.

[arjenmarkus]

Nice to see this - I will have a closer look at the text. Op di 6 okt. 2020 om 02:02 schreef smeskos <notifications@github.com>:

…

Hi all, this PR is a follow-up to Issue #134 <#134>. The goal is to provide, in a beginners-friendly format, all the necessary steps to choose and install a compiler, as well as it includes information about text-editors and IDEs. It is not complete and definitely needs "attention"... take it as a template to start building on it. The part with the text-editors needs a few of you with experience with some of those editors to contribute with "how to configure them". I am aware that some parts are opinionated, but the topic itself is subjective by nature... choosing compilers, text-editors, or IDEs. Let's discuss them and find a common path. ------------------------------ You can view, comment on, or merge this pull request online at: #152 Commit Summary - add new _site to master - Revert "add new _site to master" - test - Revert "test" - Merge remote-tracking branch 'upstream/master' - Merge remote-tracking branch 'upstream/master' - Merge remote-tracking branch 'upstream/master' - Merge remote-tracking branch 'upstream/master' - added main index page - added second page: choosing compilers - added third page: installing gfortran - added fourth page: installing opencoarrays - added fifth page: texteditors - added sixth page: IDEs - added final page: Tips - added new minibook structure File Changes - *M* _data/learning.yml <https://github.com/fortran-lang/fortran-lang.org/pull/152/files#diff-793049ea95168d552f25dbf988e2b6f3> (12) - *A* learn/os_setup/choose_compiler.md <https://github.com/fortran-lang/fortran-lang.org/pull/152/files#diff-3f295dde916c8c2704b83a487a362e44> (18) - *A* learn/os_setup/ides.md <https://github.com/fortran-lang/fortran-lang.org/pull/152/files#diff-2681dbd91fd0b562e296b3b4441cf8ec> (20) - *A* learn/os_setup/index.md <https://github.com/fortran-lang/fortran-lang.org/pull/152/files#diff-2da110db96cec689bc5276893e1f7924> (27) - *A* learn/os_setup/install_gfortran.md <https://github.com/fortran-lang/fortran-lang.org/pull/152/files#diff-b3e6b9920d8f42caf950376c2e530f2e> (85) - *A* learn/os_setup/install_opencoarrays.md <https://github.com/fortran-lang/fortran-lang.org/pull/152/files#diff-96fdd7a54c435d91e866957d4eac37c5> (16) - *A* learn/os_setup/text_editors.md <https://github.com/fortran-lang/fortran-lang.org/pull/152/files#diff-88cbca544ed22b504a0f0bf812b14f34> (54) - *A* learn/os_setup/tips.md <https://github.com/fortran-lang/fortran-lang.org/pull/152/files#diff-88f51d3e1e97db0cafb7b34ac5ba2ebd> (13) Patch Links: - https://github.com/fortran-lang/fortran-lang.org/pull/152.patch - https://github.com/fortran-lang/fortran-lang.org/pull/152.diff — You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#152>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AAN6YR4CW2UVBDYNB4YMFNTSJJNCHANCNFSM4SFKITAA> .

[smeskos]

The link at the preview doesn't work. I am now sure why. I've built it locally and the site appears fine.

[LKedward]

Great work @smeskos, many thanks! I've had a quick read through and left a few minor corrections.

• I've left a suggestion to expand the section on WSL etc. with some important points.

• The page on OpenCoarrays is short and I think it would be better suited as a subsection on the gfortran page since it describes how to 'enable' coarrays with gfortran.

(The preview link is working for me. If you're not seeing anything, try here: https://fortran-lang.org/pr/152/?v=2)

[smeskos]

Thank you @milancurcic for this detailed review. Following your recommendation, I also added a link to a tutorial for update-alternatives.

[smeskos]

#build_preview

[github-actions]

This PR has been built with Jekyll and can be previewed at: https://fortran-lang.org/pr/152/

[milancurcic]

@arjenmarkus Do you need more time to review this or it's good to go?

[arjenmarkus]

Let me read it now - I have some time at the moment. Op di 20 okt. 2020 om 18:22 schreef Milan Curcic <notifications@github.com>:

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@arjenmarkus <https://github.com/arjenmarkus> Do you need more time to review this or it's good to go? — You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#152 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AAN6YR5QBCYPTXIRCFQE3NDSLW2MZANCNFSM4SFKITAA> .

[certik]

I read through it, this is good enough to merge and we can improve it with future PRs. After @arjenmarkus approves, let's merge it.

I think our tools should support all editors, but I think we should ensure that at least one editor works first class.
I think we should pick an editor and provide tutorials with screenshots using it, and we should also write extensions to such an editor with fpm support, with formatting support, with Flang and LFortran support etc. Such an editor should work cross platform, and be in wide use. I think it should be VSCode. But as I said, we should write our tools in an editor independent way, but by ensuring that things just work in VSCode, we can simply direct new users to it, and make our lives simpler. And we can support other editors as we have time, but don't have to stress about it too much, since we have a nice default that will do the job for new users.

[arjenmarkus]

@smekos, I have just read the entire booklet in its present form. Nice work :), but I do have a comment: MinGW-w64 and MSYS2. First of all, under the threading Windows, MinGW-w64 is mentioned, but not its relation to MSYS2. Secondly. if you compile under MSYS2, then you get binaries that depend on the MSYS2 environment, but if you use the MinGW-w64 environment, you can freely distribute the programs. So, just the other way around. Thirdly, the latest version, at https://github.com/msys2, gives you the GCC compiler suite 10.2. Regards, Arjen Op di 20 okt. 2020 om 21:04 schreef Arjen Markus <arjen.markus895@gmail.com

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: Let me read it now - I have some time at the moment. Op di 20 okt. 2020 om 18:22 schreef Milan Curcic ***@***.*** >: > @arjenmarkus <https://github.com/arjenmarkus> Do you need more time to > review this or it's good to go? > > — > You are receiving this because you were mentioned. > Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub > <#152 (comment)>, > or unsubscribe > <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AAN6YR5QBCYPTXIRCFQE3NDSLW2MZANCNFSM4SFKITAA> > . >

[arjenmarkus]

@Ondřej Čertík <ondrej@certik.us>, see my comments - the text is fine as it is, with just this inaccuracy/update for MinGW-w64/MSYS2. I particularly focused on this, as it has confused me for years :). Op di 20 okt. 2020 om 21:23 schreef Ondřej Čertík <notifications@github.com

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: I read through it, this is good enough to merge and we can improve it with future PRs. After @arjenmarkus <https://github.com/arjenmarkus> approves, let's merge it. I think our tools should support all editors, but I think we should ensure that at least one editor works first class. I think we should pick an editor and provide tutorials with screenshots using it, and we should also write extensions to such an editor with fpm support, with formatting support, with Flang and LFortran support etc. Such an editor should work cross platform, and be in wide use. I think it should be VSCode. But as I said, we should write our tools in an editor independent way, but by ensuring that things just work in VSCode, we can simply direct new users to it, and make our lives simpler. And we can support other editors as we have time, but don't have to stress about it too much, since we have a nice default that will do the job for new users. — You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#152 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AAN6YR4J5ZMQBHLRNR4U76DSLXPTTANCNFSM4SFKITAA> .

[arjenmarkus]

I suggest: MinGW-w64/MSYS2 provides 32 and 64-bit x86 executable of the 10.2 gcc-version

[arjenmarkus]

I suggest: MinGW-w64: ...

(There is more to say about all this, but that is not suitable for an introductory text like this! I have struggled with it recently, hence my emphasis on getting it least wrong)

[LKedward]

Hi @arjenmarkus, the current text on MSYS2 and MinGW was written by myself. I will address your comments with an update. Can you be more specific about what you understand the relationship between MSYS2 and MinGW-w64 to be?
My understanding is that they are separate with MSYS2 providing one (of three) environments that is built atop MinGW-w64, hence why I have written that you can freely distribute programs. Yes, there is a 'native' MSYS2 environment that has it's own DLL dependency, however this environment is only recommended for developing tools for the MSYS2 .

[arjenmarkus]

Okay, minor comments/suggestions added. Op di 20 okt. 2020 om 21:36 schreef Arjen Markus <arjen.markus895@gmail.com

…

: @Ondřej Čertík ***@***.***>, see my comments - the text is fine as it is, with just this inaccuracy/update for MinGW-w64/MSYS2. I particularly focused on this, as it has confused me for years :). Op di 20 okt. 2020 om 21:23 schreef Ondřej Čertík < ***@***.***>: > I read through it, this is good enough to merge and we can improve it > with future PRs. After @arjenmarkus <https://github.com/arjenmarkus> > approves, let's merge it. > > I think our tools should support all editors, but I think we should > ensure that at least one editor works first class. > I think we should pick an editor and provide tutorials with screenshots > using it, and we should also write extensions to such an editor with fpm > support, with formatting support, with Flang and LFortran support etc. Such > an editor should work cross platform, and be in wide use. I think it should > be VSCode. But as I said, we should write our tools in an editor > independent way, but by ensuring that things just work in VSCode, we can > simply direct new users to it, and make our lives simpler. And we can > support other editors as we have time, but don't have to stress about it > too much, since we have a nice default that will do the job for new users. > > — > You are receiving this because you were mentioned. > Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub > <#152 (comment)>, > or unsubscribe > <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AAN6YR4J5ZMQBHLRNR4U76DSLXPTTANCNFSM4SFKITAA> > . >

[arjenmarkus]

Sure, I ran into this when I tried to understand the way MinGW-w64/MSYS2 handle Windows-style paths. If you install MinGW-w64/MSYS2, you get a number of shells, each giving access to their own versions of the various packages. To keep it simple, I will describe what I understand regarding the GCC compiler suite: mingw64.exe: a program compiled with the GCC compilers understands the Windows-style path names, the home directory I get with "echo $HOME" is "/home/markus", but if I ask in a C program for the current directory if I am in my home directory, I get "c:\msys64-2020\home\markus\". I can copy the program to another machine or run it in a plain command window without any problem. msys2.exe: if I do the same under this shell, I have a different version of the compiler and the run-time libraries. The result of getcwd() would then be Unixy - "/home/markus". And the program does not work outside the MSYS2 environment, as it would miss a crucial DLL. Op di 20 okt. 2020 om 21:50 schreef Laurence Kedward < notifications@github.com>:

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Hi @arjenmarkus <https://github.com/arjenmarkus>, the current text on MSYS2 and MinGW was written by myself. I will address your comments with an update. Can you be more specific about what you understand the relationship between MSYS2 and MinGW-w64 to be? My understanding is that they are separate with MSYS2 providing one (of three) environments that is built atop MinGW-w64, hence why I have written that you can freely distribute programs. Yes, there is a 'native' MSYS2 environment that has it's own DLL dependency, however this environment is only recommended for developing tools for the MSYS2 . — You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#152 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AAN6YRZ7S72BU2D6ERTU22DSLXSYJANCNFSM4SFKITAA> .

[LKedward]

Thanks @arjenmarkus, that essentially aligns with my understanding. However it should be clear that the MinGW-w64 toolchain is separate to MSYS2 and can be distributed independent of it.
Further, when you use the native MSYS2 shell, the compiler toolchain is not MinGW, but an MSYS2 native build of gcc.

The text I have written makes the assumption that the reader will use one of the MinGW shells in MSYS2 as opposed to the 'native' MSYS2 shell which should only be used for writing programs to distribute in MSYS2.

To be clear, the following compile environments are available:

• MinGW-w64: compiler toolchain only (no shell), links with Microsoft libs (native Windows), called from Windows shell
• MSYS2/mingw64: MinGW-w64 compiler toolchain provided as an MSYS2 package, links with Microsoft libs, called from MSYS2 shell
• MSYS2/mingw32: same as above with 32bit x-compile target
• MSYS2/MSYS2: GNU compiler collection compiled within the POSIX environment provided by MSYS2, links with msys-2.0.dll

I will update the text tomorrow to make it simpler and clearer to a beginner.

[smeskos]

@LKedward:

I will update the text tomorrow to make it simpler and clearer to a beginner.

Please try to do that.
I am also reading info from here msys2.org/wiki/History and trying to understand it as well.
My main concern is that every attempt to clarify all these options will lead to content outside of this tutorial's scope.
Honestly, I'd rather remove the whole last paragraph and don't even mention about differences between MSYS2, Cygwin, and MinGW-w64.

[certik]

Why don't we remove the paragraph, merge this PR, and then let's open another PR with just the mingw clarification and we can figure it out there?

[arjenmarkus]

I agree, unless we can come up with a concise and clear description. A clear description is of importance to the stdlib-os subproject as well and given the confusion we all have about it, it might even become a topic in a separate minibook on popular OSes. Op di 20 okt. 2020 om 22:51 schreef Ondřej Čertík <notifications@github.com

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: Why don't we remove the paragraph, merge this PR, and then let's open another PR with just the mingw clarification and we can figure it out there? — You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#152 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AAN6YR23TWPCRW2GFFSGKNLSLXZ4HANCNFSM4SFKITAA> .

[LKedward]

Thanks @smeskos - I agree, removing that paragraph is the clearest we can be for the scope of this tutorial.

[milancurcic]

This is now good to merge, correct?

[arjenmarkus]

As far as I am concerned, yes. Op wo 21 okt. 2020 om 17:12 schreef Milan Curcic <notifications@github.com>:

…

This is now good to merge, correct? — You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#152 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AAN6YR4XQ47CUDDQ5LQZUCTSL325RANCNFSM4SFKITAA> .

[milancurcic]

Thank you all, and especially @smeskos who led the effort!

[certik]

Thanks everybody, I am glad this is in.

[awvwgk]

#delete_preview

[github-actions]

The preview build for this PR has now been deleted.