Newsgroups: comp.os.minix
Subject: Re: Can I use GCC?
References: <6vaemt$dcv$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com>
Organization: Syracuse University, Syracuse
From: mcconnel@hydra.syr.edu (Terry R. McConnell)
NNTP-Posting-Host: hydra.syr.edu
Message-ID: <361901e6.0@news.syr.edu>
Date: 5 Oct 1998 13:29:10 -0500
X-Trace: 5 Oct 1998 13:29:10 -0500, hydra.syr.edu
Lines: 27
Path: news.adfa.oz.au!clarion.carno.net.au!news0.optus.net.au!news1.optus.net.au!optus!nsw.nntp.telstra.net!wa.nntp.telstra.net!139.130.240.98.MISMATCH!intgwlon.nntp.telstra.net!newsfeed.dacom.co.kr!news.maxwell.syr.edu!news.syr.edu!hydra.syr.edu!mcconnel

In article <6vaemt$dcv$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com>,  <george2048@yahoo.com> wrote:
>Hi,
>I'm wondering if I could use/compile GCC on minix.
>I know it can be done on Linux, but I don't know about minix.
>Can anybody help?
>

It's probably possible, but not easy. I once made a half-hearted attempt to
build a linux-->minix gcc cross compiler. Unfortunately, the output from
gcc seems not to be acceptible to minix's assembler, even though both are
based upon AT&T syntax. So you'd need to rewrite parts of gcc's
code generation module at the least. 

Minix already comes with a perfectly servicable (albeit proprietary)
compiler. IMHO, a cross compiler would be a more useful project than a pure
minix port of gcc. Here again there is a snag. Since the source code for
Minix's assembler and linker is not available, I can see no easy way to
build cross-assemblers and cross-linkers. ( I suppose you could try to
build gas as a cross assembler. Has anybody done that ?) 

Has anybody attempted a Minix port of the "retargetable" C-compiler lcc ?
 
-- 
************************************************************************
Terry R. McConnell   Mathematics/304B Carnegie/Syracuse, N.Y. 13244-1150
trmcconn@syr.edu                            http://barnyard.syr.edu/~tmc 
************************************************************************
