Re: [autoconf] Cray Fortran compilers

[Steven G. Johnson]

Paul Eggert wrote:
> > From: Kate Hedstrom <address@hidden>
> > Can I request that cf77 and cft77 get removed from the list of Fortran
> > compilers to try? They are both old and I was surprised to find them on
> > the system. Neither one passes the configure tests while f90 (for years
> > the recommended compiler) does.
>
> Thanks, I installed the following patch.  I'm CC:ing this to Wendy
> Palm, who submitted Cray-related patches earlier this year, in case
> there's some reason to still keep trying to use those ancient
> compilers.

Sorry to come late to this thread, but may I humbly suggest that the 
right fix would be to put cf77 and cft77 at the end of the list of 
compilers checked (i.e. creating a new category of "deprecated/obsolete" 
compilers) rather than removing them entirely?  (Some of the other 
compilers, especially af77 and fl32, might also be put into that category.)
Out of general principles (and as an old user of cf77), I hate to drop 
support for anything just because the original vendor declares it 
obsolete, although following their recommendation regarding preference 
order is sensible.

Steven

PS. I should also point out that autoconf normally doesn't try to cope 
with broken software installed on a system; we tend to recommend 
complaining to the administrator in that situation.  On the other hand, 
Crays are a bit of a special case because there are so few of them in 
existence.