[comp.sys.transputer] Inmos toolset issues

SUPPORT@isnet.inmos.com (US TECHNICAL SUPPORT) (05/01/91)

> From: sommerfelt@si.no (Arne Sommerfelt)
>
> 1. Many of the tools have an /XM option that I imagine is used to save
>    booting time in consequtive runs of the tool. I have however not been
>    able to figure out how to use it.

Once you have divined how the tools are invoked (through shell scripts,
cunningly named .EXE files,   etc - did you notice that all the EXE files
are the same ??? )

iserver -sr-ss-se-sc tool.btl <tool parameters> -xm

the XM option allows it to be reinvoked as follows :-

iserver -ss-se <tool parameters> -xm

and again ..

iserver strips the command line of all switches it thinks are for itself
and passes a doctored version to the tool of everything else. the -sz
switch on iserver is a handy (hidden) switch for debugging.

> 2. The linker is horribly slow !

Yes,   it is.  -xm doesnt help you much I'm afraid - most of the time
is spent reading in the libraries.

> 3. The library functions read and write seem to have an upper limit for the
>    size of the memory blocks they can transfer in one call.

True. It is about 502 bytes, which is the iserver max packet size less some
control bytes. You can call again with the pointer moved appropriately.
fread and fwrite do this for you.

Cheers,  Andy Rabagliati    EMAIL:- support@isnet.inmos.COM