J.5 Files

1. Why is there a `libmpatrol.o' target in the UNIX and Amiga `Makefile's?

   This is simply used to build the mpatrol library as one large object file for full incorporation into other libraries and was used during the development of mpatrol. On UNIX platforms some linkers support the `-r' option for combining many object files into one large object file, but this is not universally supported, hence the reason for using the compiler instead. Because all of the source files are compiled at once, there may be conflicts with system header files when malloc() and its related functions are being compiled, which is why such an object file is not built by default. In addition, platforms which require the assembler routines in `machine.c' cannot build the mpatrol library as one large object file from `library.c'. Note that the Windows and Netware `Makefile's use `libmpatrol.obj'.

2. What are the `CVS' subdirectories that come with the mpatrol distribution?

   CVS stands for Concurrent Versions System and is a project version control system. All of the source files that comprise an mpatrol release are stored in a central CVS repository so that previous releases can be easily retrieved, but the CVS system needs to have a way of determining the versions of currently checked-out files, hence the `CVS' subdirectories. The `.cvsignore' files within these directories simply inform CVS about which files to ignore when looking for changes. You shouldn't need to worry about them, so just ignore them, and in later releases they should have been removed before a distribution was made.

3. Why does the mpsym command not work for me?

   Firstly, you have to ensure that you have compiled all relevant object files with debugging information enabled (usually by adding an option to the compiler command line). The file and line number information will hopefully then appear in the log file for all symbols that have associated debugging information when you run the mpsym command on the log file. Alternatively, it could be that your system does not have gdb or any of the required UNIX text processing tools installed, in which case you might want to try installing them.

4. How can I customise the mpedit command if I do not have the appropriate permissions to edit the file that was installed on my system?

   You just need to take a copy of the installed mpedit command and place it somewhere that will be picked up earlier on your command search path. You can then edit your copy of the file and add support for your favourite text editor.

5. What does the mupdate shell script do?

   This is for my use in order to automate every new release of mpatrol. You should never need to run this script and it should not be installed anywhere on your system. This script also uses and modifies the `VERSION' file and updates the `NEWS' and `ChangeLog' files.