[comp.sys.amiga.programmer] Yes we have no Linkers

ben@epmooch.UUCP (Rev. Ben A. Mesander) (01/10/91)

>In article <dillon.8972@overload.Berkeley.CA.US> dillon@overload.Berkeley.CA.US (Matthew Dillon) writes:
>In article <ben.4212@epmooch.UUCP> ben@epmooch.UUCP (Rev. Ben A. Mesander) writes:
>>
>>How about alink? I think it comes with the C= includes, which are a must
>>for any C compiler. I'm currently using blink with the BuRP GCC port. You're
>>right; it's not an ideal situation.
[...]
>    DLink (my linker) is available free in binary form but, sorry, I am not
>    distributing source to any of the core executables for DICE.

Great! A lot of packages have been needing a free linker...

>    Unfortunately, while an object code standard does exist (ALink follows
>    it minus support for the small-data model, BLink and DLink follow it
>    including support for the small-data model), there is no standard at
>    all on the specification for special linker symbols, usually required
>    when you want to deal with things like residentability and the small
>    data model.
>
>    Additionally, there is no standard on object module ordering or
>    coagulation of like-named hunks within the final executable either.
>
>    In short, having a fully PD linker with source would only yield half
>    the benefit.  At best it gives people source code to fool around with,
>    at worst it generates yet another linker to be added to the list,
>    possibly more as various individuals post their own 'modified' linkers.

Matt, the problem is that BLINK 6.7, Lattice/SAS BLINK, and your linker
all seem to refuse to processes the documented HUNK_EXT type
'ext_common'. This is documented in the AmigaDOS manual, V 1.2. It's
not that we want to hack up another linker to the mess, it's just that
none of the existing linkers meet our needs. Although Alink is a
pessimal linker , I was asking if it supported this hunk type. So, you see,
another linker is coming along regardless of anyone's source code policy.
(and I understand wanting to keep the source to your compiler your business;
it's nearly impossible to support hacked versions of "Matt Dillon's" 
compiler). UNLESS one of the existing linkers is extended to fully 
support this hunk type, there's going to be another linker; in fact,
there's already a semi-finished port of GNU's 'ld' that emits AmigaDOS
executables.

>    Matthew Dillon	    dillon@Overload.Berkeley.CA.US
>    891 Regal Rd.	    uunet.uu.net!overload!dillon
>    Berkeley, Ca. 94708
>    USA

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