2014.2.0.0: Cannot install the Platform on GNU/Linux

[fehmud]

Hello guys,

I cannot install the Haskell Platform 2014.2.0.0 on my GNU/Linux system:

$ ./platform.sh \
>      --prefix=/opt/haskell-platform/haskell-platform-2014.2.0.0 \
>      ../ghc-7.8.3/ghc-7.8.3-i386-unknown-linux.tar.bz2
Warning: The following packages are likely to be broken by the
reinstalls:
haskell-platform-2013.2.0.0
Use --force-reinstalls if you want to install anyway.
=== pre-requisite packages for hptool are not installed
    run the following:
    cd hptool ; cabal install --only-dependencies

However, the dependencies for hptool are already installed:

$ cd hptool ; cabal install --only-dependencies
Resolving dependencies...
All the requested packages are already installed:
Use --reinstall if you want to reinstall anyway.

That is it. Some troubleshooting details follow.

Since there is no GHC tarball for my distro, I have built and installed GHC 7.8.3 from source, and then

Then, I have tried to install the Platform. According to the README:

The machine doing the build needs to have a working Haskell setup: Usually,
GHC (7.4 or later), Cabal (1.16 or later), and haddock and HsColour must be on
the $PATH.

Indeed, I have GHC 7.6.3 and the Haskell Platform 2013.2.0.0 (with cabal-install 1.16.0.2, using Cabal library 1.16.0) in the PATH.

Then, I have prepared a tarball of the newer GHC by following the directions on the GHC website.

I have already asked for help on the Haskell Cafe mailing-list, and I have been told that there is a conflict with the older Platform, but if so then where am I supposed to get Cabal? It looks like a chicken-and-egg problem.

Thanks for your attention.

[gbaz]

the confusion is the deps weren't installed in the sandbox folder in the hptool folder.

but the other confusion here is someone using the source to build a personal platform just as a way to get "cabal" and etc, when we should steer people to it just as maintainers, which I think we've been better at, but could be better still? leaving open for that reason.