[gnu.gcc] Needed: Cross GNU C compiler: Sparc --> 88000

robertb@june.cs.washington.edu (Robert Bedichek) (08/16/90)

The only GNU C compiler for the 88000 that I know of runs native on
Tektronix and Data General machines.  Has anyone made a cross compiler
out of this?  I need it to generate dbx style debugging information.

What is the best version of the GNU 88000 compiler for me to start
with?  My concerns are, in order: reliability of generated code and
debugging information, ease of making it work on a Sparc Station,  and
(a distant third) quality of generated code.

Thanks for any advise that you can lend,

	Rob

jfriedl@frf.omron.co.jp (Jeffrey E.F. Friedl) (08/17/90)

robertb@june.cs.washington.edu (Robert Bedichek) writes:
> The only GNU C compiler for the 88000 that I know of runs native on
> Tektronix and Data General machines.  Has anyone made a cross compiler
> out of this?  I need it to generate dbx style debugging information.

We (Omron Corporation) use the D.G. 88k port of gcc for our MACH 88k box.
From the same source we generate a local compiler and a cross compiler
(runs on our 68k BSD boxes -- produces code for the 88k machine).
Changes to get dbx debugging output can be minimal (as our ours),
but of course you've got to have an assembler, linker, debugger,
etc. that can deal with it.

The changes can also be pretty large if you want "vax-like" assembler
syntax.  There are groups in Sweeden in The States that have done this.

D.G. also is doing the gdb 88k port; that was much more difficult to port
to our MACH machine......

> What is the best version of the GNU 88000 compiler for me to start
> with?  My concerns are, in order: reliability of generated code and
> debugging information, ease of making it work on a Sparc Station,  and
> (a distant third) quality of generated code.

Contact Data General...  my contact is (I believe this is public info)
Tom Wood at uunet!rti!xyzzy!wood. I currently have version 1.37.23.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jeffrey Eric Francis Friedl                          jfriedl@nff.ncl.omron.jp
Direct path from uunet:                             ...!uunet!othello!jfriedl
Omron Electronics, Central R&D Lab, RNA          Nagaokakyo, Kyoto 617, Japan
Fax: 011-81-75-955-2442                       Phone: 011-81-75-951-5111 x3158

      "current memory prices are 4600$ a megabyte on VAX (4/22/81)"
                                              -- my '/usr/include/vmparam.h'

rfg@NCD.COM (Ron Guilmette) (08/18/90)

In article <12800@june.cs.washington.edu> robertb@june.cs.washington.edu (Robert Bedichek) writes:
>The only GNU C compiler for the 88000 that I know of runs native on
>Tektronix and Data General machines.  Has anyone made a cross compiler
>out of this?

Yes.  Running on Solborne (Sparc) based system.

>I need it to generate dbx style debugging information.

For that you may want to talk with some people in Buffalo.

>What is the best version of the GNU 88000 compiler for me to start
>with?

No doubt about it.  You want to get the latest sources from Tom Wood at
Data General <wood@dg-rtp.dg.com>.  Tom, and before him, Mike Meissner,
have done a superb job getting GCC to be stable, robust, reliable, and
intensely ANSI conformant on the 88k.  They (and DG) deserve high praise
for this work, and for sharing it freely with 88k users.

>My concerns are, in order: reliability of generated code and
>debugging information...

If you get Tom's latest version, I'd be surprized if you had *any* problems
in terms of reliability.

>...ease of making it work on a Sparc Station..

That's trivial.  Just run:

	config.gcc m88kdgux

as if you were going to build it on an AViiON and then do :

	rm -f config.h
	ln -s config/xm-sparc.h config.h

Then make it.

>...and (a distant third) quality of generated code.

GCC is very nearly as good as it gets on an 88k these days.


-- 

// Ron Guilmette  -  C++ Entomologist
// Internet: rfg@ncd.com      uucp: ...uunet!lupine!rfg
// Motto:  If it sticks, force it.  If it breaks, it needed replacing anyway.