[Caml-list] [ANN] opam-bin.1.0.0: binary packages for opam

[Caml-list] [ANN] opam-bin.1.0.0: binary packages for opam

[Fabrice Le Fessant]

Hi,

  I am happy to announce the first stable release of `opam-bin`,
version 1.0.0, a framework to CREATE, USE and SHARE binary relocatable
packages with opam, to speed-up installation of packages. It is easily
installable from opam-repository, and available on Github:

https://ocamlpro.github.io/opam-bin

With opam-bin, you can :

* build binary packages while installing their source counterpart with opam
* automatically reuse previously created binary packages instead of
compiling them again
* export and share your binary packages as part of opam repositories
for other users/computers to use

  `opam-bin` is a framework in 3 parts :
* a tool `opam-bin` to create binary packages:
https://ocamlpro.github.io/opam-bin
* a set of patches to make some packages relocatable (`opam-bin` will
apply them automatically when building packages), including patches to
make the OCaml distribution relocatable from version 4.02.0 to 4.11.1:
https://github.com/ocamlpro/relocation-patches
* a set of contributed repositories of binary packages. For now, there
is only one contribution, during the summer, by Origin Labs :
https://www.origin-labs.com/opam-bin/debian10.4-amd64/
containing 5 repos, among which the "4.10.0" repo contains more than
1800 packages. These repos can be used DIRECTLY WITH opam, WITHOUT
USING opam-bin.

  This is the first stable release:
* Specific support has been added in the current `master` branch of
`opam` to make working with this version more convenient, by printing
pre- and post- installation messages. Yet, it will still work with
previous version of opam, but with no output on the terminal when
calling opam.
* The `sharing` option can be enabled to share files with hard-links
between switches, making the creation of new local switches almost
costless in time and disk space.

`opam-bin` is a collaborative work between OCamlPro and Origin Labs.

`opam-bin` is particularly useful if you create many local switches,
as they become unexpensive. Tools like Drom (an OCaml project
scaffolder, https://ocamlpro.github.io/drom) can take advantage of
that to provide a cargo-like experience.

Enjoy !
--
Fabrice LE FESSANT