Re: Updating MiNT and XaAES (foundations of free, modern Atari system operation)

[Sven Karlsson <sven@it.lth.se>]

> > Last year I posted here a diff archive for POSIX time (esp. TZ rules) in
> > mintlib, to patch libsrc PL46.
> > 
> > Further I made some proposals for a gettimeofday funtion and TOS
> > compatible time handling in MiNT, but no one seemed interested.
> > So my MiNT system is running with UTC time now, therefore I also patched the
> > time() function from mintlib (replacing the mktime() call with the _unixtim()
> > function from MiNT sources).
> > Of course this works only on machines running the clock with UTC time. And
> > of course you have to recompile all programs using local time (date, ls,
> > mailers, etc).
> > To make it portable at least I suggest a clock cookie:
> > 'CLOC' 'clock_cookie_value' where the upper 8 bits in clock_cookie_value
> > are a bitfield:
> > if =0 or doesn't exist: clock is (Tgettime/date returns) local time + DST
> > according TZ environment variable
> >         00000001        clock is UTC time
> >         00000010        Tgettimeofday() function and unxitime variable
> >                         available, returns (only) timeval struct
> >         00000110        Tgettimeofday() function returns also timezone
> > 
> > Tgettimeofday() of course returns always UTC time in seconds since 1970
> > 
> > If this cookie doesn't exist when MiNT starts up it creates it according to its
> > time capabilities, if it exists MiNT changes it accordingly.

Just send diffs (relative to FreeMiNT 1.14beta) and I will inlude them into 1.14
and release 1.14 pl 2.

>
> Perhaps it would be a good idea if you were to take over the challenge
> of releasing the next FreeMiNT with your time enhancements.
> 
> It probably would be a good idea to create unofficial websites for MiNT,
> oAESis and XaAES.

I don't quite see the point in creating even more sites. This could lead to
diversion in sourcetree version which quite frankly no developer want.

If someone have a feature (ie diff) that he or she want to have included in FreeMiNT
just send them to me and I will have them included into the sourcetree and release
a new patchlevel with complete sourcetree..

There is one thing though that's bothering me and that is that Craig Graham seems
to be a bit busy at the moment. I hope I'm not stepping on any toes here but it
might be better if someone could take care of the XaAES sourcetree and apply diffs
to it if Craig don't have the time... I could volonteer for a couple of months...

Regards
	Sven Karlsson

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M.S., Ph.D. student (graduent student)

Founder of Istari Software, Developer of Fenix,Code and Jaguar Server