which squeak sources/image/changes file should I use for Debian/Jessie

I just downloaded and installed (via apt-get install)  squeak-vm on my
computer upon which
I am running Debian/Jessie i386.

I would like to know which sources file, image file and changes file I
should download to
match this image.  I am looking for a stable version of squeak 4.5.

Note that apt-get installed squeak-vm 1:4.10.2.2614-1.1+b1  which I assume to be
compatible with squeak 4.5

Once this is installed I will be migrating my Squeak code from 3.11  to  4.5.
Is there any gotchas that I should be aware of for this migration?

Thanks

Ralph Boland

On Mon, May 18, 2015 at 06:47:55PM -0600, Ralph Boland wrote:
Hi Ralph,

I would recommend getting your image and VM through the references on
http://www.squeak.org/Downloads. In particular, please get your VM through
one of those links, rather than relying on apt-get. The Debian package may
work, but problems have been reported particularly for 64-bit systems.

Given your objective to move from 3.11 to 4.5, the official 4.5 release
is a good image to work with. Be aware that a new release is pending. This
will be 4.6/5.0, with the 5.0 designation applied to a new object memory
format (by Eliot Miranda) that will support better performance and new
garbage collection strategies. But you can very easily move your application
from 4.5 to the newest 4.6/5.0 once you have in running on 4.5.

The Cog VMs (mirandabanda.org) will give you superior performance, and the
traditional interpreter VMs (squeakvm.org)) will work well with both Squeak
4.5 and your current 3.11 images.  Any of these VMs will serve you well,
but please do get one through the links at http://www.squeak.org/Downloads.

HTH,
Dave

On 18-05-2015, at 8:08 PM, David T. Lewis <[hidden email]> wrote:
> I would recommend getting your image and VM through the references on
> http://www.squeak.org/Downloads. In particular, please get your VM through
> one of those links, rather than relying on apt-get. The Debian package may
> work, but problems have been reported particularly for 64-bit systems.

I’d second that; we used to use the debian repository for building the raspberry Pi vm to support Scratch but quickly realised it was never going to be adequate. They actually imposed patches on the code without ever having told anyone in squeak-land. Unnacceptable. It broke stuff!

>
> Given your objective to move from 3.11 to 4.5, the official 4.5 release
> is a good image to work with. Be aware that a new release is pending. This
> will be 4.6/5.0, with the 5.0 designation applied to a new object memory
> format (by Eliot Miranda) that will support better performance and new
> garbage collection strategies. But you can very easily move your application
> from 4.5 to the newest 4.6/5.0 once you have in running on 4.5.

Moving all the way from 3.x to 4,5 is not a trivial thing if your code include much morphic use. I had to move the Scratch (roughly 2.8 era) code forward and it was a massive effort. It might well be smarter to use your UI design and build a fresh ui code base rather than trying to patch things up as you go.
I updated a fair bit of morph layout related pages on the swiki as a result of my … travails.

>
> The Cog VMs (mirandabanda.org) will give you superior performance, and the
> traditional interpreter VMs (squeakvm.org)) will work well with both Squeak
> 4.5 and your current 3.11 images.  Any of these VMs will serve you well,
> but please do get one through the links at http://www.squeak.org/Downloads.

You can almost certainly just use the all-in-one download if you are using an x86 linux machine.


tim
--
tim Rowledge; [hidden email]; http://www.rowledge.org/tim
Useful random insult:- Calls people to ask them their phone number.