Re: Powerpc Linux build fails

[Alan Modra]

On Tue, May 18, 2004 at 09:27:34PM -0700, Geoff Keating wrote:
> I am not sure about this new -mstrict.  I am sure someone is expecting
> -mpower3 to really mean 'power3 only' and will get a nasty surprise
> when they use a power4 instruction by mistake and their program
> crashes.

Probably true.  However, the feedback I'm getting at the moment is that
it's a nasty surprise that the Linux kernel doesn't compile..  The same
goes for current powerpc64 glibc with VMX extensions.

> It is perfectly acceptable to say "GAS version X will only work with
> GCC version > Y".  People using old GCC can always use old binutils
> with it.  (They can also hack their specs file to pass -many, if
> that's what they really want.)
> 
> The fully-correct way to do this is to have GCC generate a directive
> after option parsing, like '.machine 7400' or so, and have GAS
> interpret it, otherwise you end up in specs hell.  (Doesn't ppc gas
> already have a directive like that?  I seem to remember seeing such a
> patch fly by...)

Yes, .machine was implemented 2003-11-22.

-- 
Alan Modra
IBM OzLabs - Linux Technology Centre