# Would you run GHCs testsuite if you could?

**URL:** <https://discourse.haskell.org/t/would-you-run-ghcs-testsuite-if-you-could/10779>\
**Category:** Uncategorized\
**Created:** [November 21, 2024, 5:46pm UTC](https://discourse.haskell.org/t/would-you-run-ghcs-testsuite-if-you-could/10779 "2024-11-21T17:46:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![hasufell](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.haskell.org/hasufell/32/1250_2.png) [@hasufell](https://discourse.haskell.org/u/hasufell)\
**Post date:** [November 21, 2024, 5:46pm UTC](https://discourse.haskell.org/t/would-you-run-ghcs-testsuite-if-you-could/10779/1 "2024-11-21T17:46:02Z")

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Following a discussion in the #GHC matrix channel, I’m curious to know what the community thinks about this.

**Would you run GHCs testsuite (maybe part of it) on either your own system or the system where you compile your production binaries?**

What sparked the discussion is that `ghcup test ghc` already exists, but is largely defunct due to the GHC test bindists having several issues.

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**Author:** ![Kleidukos](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.haskell.org/kleidukos/32/1213_2.png) [@Kleidukos](https://discourse.haskell.org/u/Kleidukos)\
**Post date:** [November 21, 2024, 8:12pm UTC](https://discourse.haskell.org/t/would-you-run-ghcs-testsuite-if-you-could/10779/2 "2024-11-21T20:12:49Z")

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As a user of FreeBSD to host my Haskell web applications, I’d definitely be interested.

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**Author:** ![angerman](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.haskell.org/angerman/32/892_2.png) [@angerman](https://discourse.haskell.org/u/angerman)\
**Post date:** [November 21, 2024, 11:42pm UTC](https://discourse.haskell.org/t/would-you-run-ghcs-testsuite-if-you-could/10779/3 "2024-11-21T23:42:03Z")

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Yes. And there is ongoing work to make this happen. Or we’ll, I’ve tasked @hsyl20 with it 😅

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**Author:** ![Vlix](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.haskell.org/vlix/32/1551_2.png) [@Vlix](https://discourse.haskell.org/u/Vlix)\
**Post date:** [November 23, 2024, 7:40am UTC](https://discourse.haskell.org/t/would-you-run-ghcs-testsuite-if-you-could/10779/4 "2024-11-23T07:40:45Z")

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What does “running GHCs testsuite” mean in this case?

Running a testsuite using the GHC executable I’m using to check the executable is working correctly?  
Or do you mean running a testsuite that would otherwise be run by GHC’s CI to help GHC development?

I have not read the matrix channel discussion, so I have zero context.

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**Author:** ![hasufell](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.haskell.org/hasufell/32/1250_2.png) [@hasufell](https://discourse.haskell.org/u/hasufell)\
**Post date:** [November 23, 2024, 7:53am UTC](https://discourse.haskell.org/t/would-you-run-ghcs-testsuite-if-you-could/10779/5 "2024-11-23T07:53:30Z")

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Yes… they are currently the same thing, more or less. The test bindist is provided here: [https://downloads.haskell.org/ghc/9.10.1/ghc-9.10.1-testsuite.tar.xz](https://downloads.haskell.org/ghc/9.10.1/ghc-9.10.1-testsuite.tar.xz)

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**Author:** ![Vlix](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.haskell.org/vlix/32/1551_2.png) [@Vlix](https://discourse.haskell.org/u/Vlix)\
**Post date:** [November 23, 2024, 8:03am UTC](https://discourse.haskell.org/t/would-you-run-ghcs-testsuite-if-you-could/10779/6 "2024-11-23T08:03:57Z")

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So is the question’s underlying goal:

- Who would want to help out GHC development? ; or,
- Who uses the local test functionality?

Because my answer to the former would be “maybe”, and to the latter “no”.

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**Author:** ![hasufell](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.haskell.org/hasufell/32/1250_2.png) [@hasufell](https://discourse.haskell.org/u/hasufell)\
**Post date:** [November 23, 2024, 8:16am UTC](https://discourse.haskell.org/t/would-you-run-ghcs-testsuite-if-you-could/10779/7 "2024-11-23T08:16:54Z")

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I don’t really want to put forward my own goals and ideas, but hear those of the community. At one point I might write a HF tech proposal or something similar about it.

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**Author:** ![dfordivam](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.haskell.org/dfordivam/32/1054_2.png) [@dfordivam](https://discourse.haskell.org/u/dfordivam)\
**Post date:** [November 23, 2024, 8:34am UTC](https://discourse.haskell.org/t/would-you-run-ghcs-testsuite-if-you-could/10779/8 "2024-11-23T08:34:54Z")

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I am mostly making use of nix built ghc binaries for production, and I would want them to be tested at least when they got built. If I am using a tested binary across many systems, then testing on each system is not important. (usually all are nixos systems)  
And I think that ghc’s testsuite is not being run by nix build process. But the nix based dev environment does run the tests of all the dependencies/libraries. So this has been the source of confidence in the ghc binary, but running ghc’s testsuite would be nicer.