neovim and luajit?

neovim and luajit?

[Jack Hill]

Hi Guix,

I'm wondering why we use Lua 5.1 instead of LuaJIT for neovim? It seems 
that upstream prefers LuaJIT given the non-default configure flag we 
use[0] and their FAQ[1].

I don't have an opinion either way. I'm learning about neovim today, and 
am curious how we arrived at our configuration.

[0] https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/guix.git/tree/gnu/packages/vim.scm?id=96a655a77bb087397a9436391e472c36ff0a2ec2#n647
[1] https://github.com/neovim/neovim/wiki/FAQ#why-embed-lua-instead-of-x

Best,
Jack

Re: neovim and luajit?

[Jack Hill]

[-- Attachment #1: Type: text/plain, Size: 1272 bytes --]

On Fri, 31 Jul 2020, Jack Hill wrote:

> Hi Guix,
>
> I'm wondering why we use Lua 5.1 instead of LuaJIT for neovim? It seems that 
> upstream prefers LuaJIT given the non-default configure flag we use[0] and 
> their FAQ[1].
>
> I don't have an opinion either way. I'm learning about neovim today, and am 
> curious how we arrived at our configuration.
>
> [0] https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/guix.git/tree/gnu/packages/vim.scm?id=96a655a77bb087397a9436391e472c36ff0a2ec2#n647
> [1] https://github.com/neovim/neovim/wiki/FAQ#why-embed-lua-instead-of-x
>
> Best,
> Jack

I've returned to the above question. With the attached patch, neovim 
builds on x86_64 and performs basic editing functions. I did not test it 
with any extra packages or plugins.

In addition to what I said before, I'm also interested in LuaJIT because 
it supports the 5.1 language and still seems to be developed upstream. Lua 
is no longer developing the 5.1 series and the newer series have an 
incompatible language.

A downside to using LuaJIT is that it doesn't support all the 
architectures that Guix supports [2]. In particular, it looks like 
aarch64 and ppc64el are missing.

[2] https://luajit.org/install.html

Best,
Jack

P.S. Maybe its time to work on the Lua language of Guile 😀

[-- Warning: decoded text below may be mangled, UTF-8 assumed --]
[-- Attachment #2: Type: text/x-diff; name=0001-gnu-neovim-Use-luajit.patch, Size: 1857 bytes --]

From eea95ade77aabd0528043a68fee4d2c45a334602 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Jack Hill <jackhill@jackhill.us>
Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2021 01:17:56 -0400
Subject: [PATCH] gnu: neovim: Use luajit.

* gnu/packages/vim.scm (neovim)[inputs]: Replace lua-5.1 with luajit.
[arguments]: Remove "-DPREFER_LUA:BOOL=YES" from #:configure-flags, and adjust
"set-lua-paths" phase to use luajit.
---
 gnu/packages/vim.scm | 5 ++---
 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/gnu/packages/vim.scm b/gnu/packages/vim.scm
index 231fae9298..35608a2220 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/vim.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/vim.scm
@@ -643,7 +643,6 @@ are detected, the user is notified.")))
      `(#:modules ((srfi srfi-26)
                   (guix build cmake-build-system)
                   (guix build utils))
-       #:configure-flags '("-DPREFER_LUA:BOOL=YES")
        #:phases
        (modify-phases %standard-phases
          (add-after 'unpack 'set-lua-paths
@@ -658,7 +657,7 @@ are detected, the user is notified.")))
                        (let ((path (string-append prefix "/share/lua/" lua-version)))
                          (string-append path "/?.lua;" path "/?/?.lua"))))
                     (lua-inputs (map (cute assoc-ref %build-inputs <>)
-                                     '("lua"
+                                     '("luajit"
                                        "lua-luv"
                                        "lua-lpeg"
                                        "lua-bitop"
@@ -684,7 +683,7 @@ are detected, the user is notified.")))
        ("unibilium" ,unibilium)
        ("jemalloc" ,jemalloc)
        ("libiconv" ,libiconv)
-       ("lua" ,lua-5.1)
+       ("luajit" ,luajit)
        ("lua-luv" ,lua5.1-luv)
        ("lua-lpeg" ,lua5.1-lpeg)
        ("lua-bitop" ,lua5.1-bitop)
-- 
2.31.1

Re: neovim and luajit?

[Efraim Flashner]

[-- Attachment #1: Type: text/plain, Size: 2018 bytes --]

On Thu, Apr 22, 2021 at 01:33:58AM -0400, Jack Hill wrote:
> On Fri, 31 Jul 2020, Jack Hill wrote:
> 
> > Hi Guix,
> > 
> > I'm wondering why we use Lua 5.1 instead of LuaJIT for neovim? It seems
> > that upstream prefers LuaJIT given the non-default configure flag we
> > use[0] and their FAQ[1].
> > 
> > I don't have an opinion either way. I'm learning about neovim today, and
> > am curious how we arrived at our configuration.
> > 
> > [0] https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/guix.git/tree/gnu/packages/vim.scm?id=96a655a77bb087397a9436391e472c36ff0a2ec2#n647
> > [1] https://github.com/neovim/neovim/wiki/FAQ#why-embed-lua-instead-of-x
> > 
> > Best,
> > Jack
> 
> I've returned to the above question. With the attached patch, neovim builds
> on x86_64 and performs basic editing functions. I did not test it with any
> extra packages or plugins.
> 
> In addition to what I said before, I'm also interested in LuaJIT because it
> supports the 5.1 language and still seems to be developed upstream. Lua is
> no longer developing the 5.1 series and the newer series have an
> incompatible language.
> 
> A downside to using LuaJIT is that it doesn't support all the architectures
> that Guix supports [2]. In particular, it looks like aarch64 and ppc64el are
> missing.
> 
> [2] https://luajit.org/install.html
> 
> Best,
> Jack
> 
> P.S. Maybe its time to work on the Lua language of Guile 😀

Our copy of luajit supports aarch64 so I don't think that's a problem.
(Last I checked) Debian has a patch to replace powerpc support with
64-bit ppc support. I'd go ahead with the change if that's the direction
that neovim is going and let the powerpc64le people decide between using
lua5.1 or just removing lua support on a per-architecture basis for
ppc64le.

-- 
Efraim Flashner   <efraim@flashner.co.il>   אפרים פלשנר
GPG key = A28B F40C 3E55 1372 662D  14F7 41AA E7DC CA3D 8351
Confidentiality cannot be guaranteed on emails sent or received unencrypted

[-- Attachment #2: signature.asc --]
[-- Type: application/pgp-signature, Size: 833 bytes --]

Re: neovim and luajit?

[HiPhish]

I just want to add my 2 cents to the discussion. Officially Neovim supports only 
Lua 5.1 as its extension language according to the manual (`:h lua-intro`):

> The Lua 5.1 language is builtin and always available.

Using LuaJIT allows the use of some extensions to Lua 5.1, but plugins relying 
on this functionality are strictly speaking non-portable because not all users 
might have them. I don't know if it is possible with Guix, but the ideal 
solution would be to use LuaJIT where available and fall back on Lua 5.1 
otherwise.

On Sunday, 25 April 2021 09:15:57 CEST Efraim Flashner wrote:
> On Thu, Apr 22, 2021 at 01:33:58AM -0400, Jack Hill wrote:
> > On Fri, 31 Jul 2020, Jack Hill wrote:
> > > Hi Guix,
> > > 
> > > I'm wondering why we use Lua 5.1 instead of LuaJIT for neovim? It seems
> > > that upstream prefers LuaJIT given the non-default configure flag we
> > > use[0] and their FAQ[1].
> > > 
> > > I don't have an opinion either way. I'm learning about neovim today, and
> > > am curious how we arrived at our configuration.
> > > 
> > > [0]
> > > https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/guix.git/tree/gnu/packages/vim.scm?id
> > > =96a655a77bb087397a9436391e472c36ff0a2ec2#n647 [1]
> > > https://github.com/neovim/neovim/wiki/FAQ#why-embed-lua-instead-of-x
> > > 
> > > Best,
> > > Jack
> > 
> > I've returned to the above question. With the attached patch, neovim
> > builds
> > on x86_64 and performs basic editing functions. I did not test it with any
> > extra packages or plugins.
> > 
> > In addition to what I said before, I'm also interested in LuaJIT because
> > it
> > supports the 5.1 language and still seems to be developed upstream. Lua is
> > no longer developing the 5.1 series and the newer series have an
> > incompatible language.
> > 
> > A downside to using LuaJIT is that it doesn't support all the
> > architectures
> > that Guix supports [2]. In particular, it looks like aarch64 and ppc64el
> > are missing.
> > 
> > [2] https://luajit.org/install.html
> > 
> > Best,
> > Jack
> > 
> > P.S. Maybe its time to work on the Lua language of Guile 😀
> 
> Our copy of luajit supports aarch64 so I don't think that's a problem.
> (Last I checked) Debian has a patch to replace powerpc support with
> 64-bit ppc support. I'd go ahead with the change if that's the direction
> that neovim is going and let the powerpc64le people decide between using
> lua5.1 or just removing lua support on a per-architecture basis for
> ppc64le.

Re: neovim and luajit?

[Jack Hill]

On Sun, 25 Apr 2021, HiPhish wrote:

> I just want to add my 2 cents to the discussion. Officially Neovim supports only
> Lua 5.1 as its extension language according to the manual (`:h lua-intro`):
>
>> The Lua 5.1 language is builtin and always available.
>
> Using LuaJIT allows the use of some extensions to Lua 5.1, but plugins relying
> on this functionality are strictly speaking non-portable because not all users
> might have them. I don't know if it is possible with Guix, but the ideal
> solution would be to use LuaJIT where available and fall back on Lua 5.1
> otherwise.

Yes, I believe that this would be possible, but based on what Efraim says 
it may not even be needed.

> On Sunday, 25 April 2021 09:15:57 CEST Efraim Flashner wrote:
>>
>> Our copy of luajit supports aarch64 so I don't think that's a problem.
>> (Last I checked) Debian has a patch to replace powerpc support with
>> 64-bit ppc support. I'd go ahead with the change if that's the direction
>> that neovim is going and let the powerpc64le people decide between using
>> lua5.1 or just removing lua support on a per-architecture basis for
>> ppc64le.

That does sound promising.

Therefore, I've proposed switching to luajit in #48109

https://issues.guix.gnu.org/48109

Thanks for your replies!
Jack