On 03-Sep-2002 Bakul Shah wrote: >> > > Where exactly does GCC fit into the mix, making this impossible? >> > >> > They compile Lisp (etc) to a C file, which they compile (with gcc) to >> ^^^ >> actually with as(1), because gcc is only generates assembler file, >> which is then translated into the object file by assembler (as). >> Assembler by itself is part of binutils, not a compiler suite. > > I suspect Richard Tobin was using the generally accepted > meaning for a "compiler" as one that translates a source > program into object code (machine language). In any case, it > is cc1 that generates an assembly file. gcc is just a driver > program that calls various subprograms. > > Richard's main point with which I totally agree is that > please do not take away the ability to generate and grok > a.out files *if at all possible*. A number of Lisp systems > as well as Scheme one use ld -A & friends to do what he > described. In general, please do not break backward > compatibility. > > <meta-discussion> > Seems to me that most of the FreeBSD developers are not heavy > 3rd part software users. Consequently they (the developers) > do not realize that even when sources are available it is not > always easy to update them to support changes that break old > code -- due to lack of time or money or inability or > inexperience to change the 3rd party software or whatever. > When sources are not available, you are up the proverbial > creek. > > You may say just continue running old freeBSD kernels but the > constant stream of security fixes makes hard to justify doing > that.
You are blowing this out of proportion and not actually reading what people are proposing. So far, the comments are about removing a.out support from the base compiler and offering a.out binutils and gcc _as ports_. Thus, people who needed to work with a.out can still install a toolchain to work with, they just wouldn't use the toolchain in the base system. The toolchain in the base system would then be easier to maintain resulting in it being more up-to-date and it would also be a bit faster. > Unfortunately there is no such direct back-pressure in the > open source community and developers usually don't have a > long term view. Thank you for insulting our intelligence. -- John Baldwin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> <>< http://www.FreeBSD.org/~jhb/ "Power Users Use the Power to Serve!" - http://www.FreeBSD.org/ To Unsubscribe: send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with "unsubscribe freebsd-current" in the body of the message
