Re: coreutils-6.3: c89 patch insufficent

[mwoehlke]

Paul Eggert wrote:
> mwoehlke <address@hidden> writes:
> > So, at least here, if c99 becomes a strict requirement, I won't be
> > able to build on sparc Solaris at all, unless I can manage building
> > gcc first.
>
> A couple of things.
>
>  * First, coreutils doesn't require C99; it merely requires a few
>    C99 features, like declarations after statements.  GCC 3.2.3
>    should be fine.

I'm still unclear on why the main source doesn't simply support strict 
c89 compilers, given that a patch is so easily available. (Might have 
wanted to mention that in README.)

>  * Second, I'd be surprised if the latest GCC doesn't build on Solaris
>    7.  Certainly its installation instructions talk about Solaris 7.
>    (I long ago lost my last Solaris 7 host, so I can't easily check
>    this myself.)

I haven't tried; building gcc is not something I particularly want to do 
if I can avoid it. Plus I would prefer to use either native compilers 
across the board, or gcc across the board, and to go gcc I would have to 
build it on some eight different platforms (including the infamous OSS 
and our Itanium Linux box which currently has the gcc 2.96 abomination).

> So I wouldn't worry so much about this issue; it's not as serious as
> it might seem.

I'm not worried, that's why I put "FYI" at the beginning of my post. :-) 
Nor did I say it was serious. Nope, just informative.

--
Matthew
"I don't question your existence -- God" (seen on a church billboard)