Status of Haskell Platform 2014.2.0.0

[Mark Lentczner]

The status is: *Good-to-Go!*

The new-build branch of Haskell Platform is in pretty great shape:

   - One consistent build system using Shake
   - Builds source tarball
   - Builds linux distribution tarball
   - Builds Mac installer
   - Builds in one command line from a GHC bindist to end-user installer!
   - We have a running travis-ci instance
   <https://travis-ci.org/haskell/haskell-platform>* (currently red as we
   await a 7.8.3 bindist)*

As soon as GHC 7.8.3 is out, I'll be running an alpha (or is this rc1?) or
Haskell Platform (well, after I build the bindists for GHC for Mac... so
it'll be a few hours on my puny MacBook Air...)

*Shout out to: Yitzchak Gale, Bob Ipoloito, and Randy Polen for lots of
help with the new build; Carter Schonwald for Mac and GHC build issues;
Robert Lefkowitz for wiki and issue converstion (now on github!); Neil
Mitchell for consultations on Shake.*

The platform is now in a place that we'll be able to turn it much more
quickly. This means we can track GHC release more closely, handle important
library fixes when needed. And more importantly, spend time improving the
platform itself, rather than sapping our energies build it!

What you need to do now:

   - Check the version list in Release2014.hs
   <https://github.com/haskell/haskell-platform/blob/new-build/hptool/src/Releases2014.hs>
   - If you see a problem with the version of your library, let us know
   - If you are a packager for one of the linux distros - please try out
   the build and see how it works, and how it meshes with your packaging
   process for the distro. Come talk to me if you need help or brainstorming
   w.r.t. to the new-build.
   - If you have a Mac, you can try building the platform.

*Build note: The repo is in sync with head of GHC 7.8 and we've been
working with bindists we build ourselves off of head. If you want to try
out the HP build with a 7.8.2 bindist, you'll need to change the version of
base back to 4.7.0.0.*

What you can do to help
There are few aspects in progress, but none of these are show stoppers:

   - Windows installer using the new build being written by Randy Polen.
   (Existing windows build from the source tarball is still possible) -
   contact him if you'd like to help.
   - Platform website is being revamped by Erin Depew in concert with the
   general Haskell redesign by Chris Done
   - Platform website is template generated... but the pages haven't been
   templated much. if you're interested, e-mail and I can supply more
   details and hook up interested parties and Erin.
   - The travis-ci instance is enabled for Mac builds, but isn't configured
   to do them right.
   - There is a TO DO small task list in BUILD-NEW
   <https://github.com/haskell/haskell-platform/blob/new-build/notes/BUILD-NEW#L126>
in
   the repo - I'd like to see the As and Bs done. If you want to tackle one
   just do it and send me a merge request.
   - Many people have asked for a "server edition" of the platform w/o
   packages that don't make sense on a server (such as the OpenGL stuff). The
   new-build could easily be extended to do this now.
   - I'd love to see a version of Simon Hengel's Haskell Platform Versions
   Comparison Chart
   <http://sol.github.io/haskell-platform-versions-comparison-chart/> as
   part of the platform website. Now that it is templatized and the raw data
   is in Haskell, it should be possible. (I have prior year's data in the
   right format, just not checked in, ask me...)
   - It would be wonderful if we could get tests incorporated: Both running
   the tests that are part of the included libraries, and perhaps some "big
   integration tests" (is compiling Pandoc enough?). It would be great if
   these tests can be run "in-place" after the platform is built (for
   travis-ci), and if they could be run on the target machine
   (post-installation).

— Mark "is it July already?" Lentczner
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