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Date:      Thu, 28 May 1998 17:08:14 -0600
From:      Nate Williams <nate@mt.sri.com>
To:        alk@pobox.com
Cc:        chat@FreeBSD.ORG, nate@mt.sri.com
Subject:   Re: Fix for undefined "__error" and discussion of shared object versioning
Message-ID:  <199805282308.RAA21910@mt.sri.com>
In-Reply-To: <199805282249.RAA03682@pobox.com>
References:  <199805282249.RAA03682@pobox.com>

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> > > My own concern would be the amount of code in third-party programs
> > > that uses gccisms.
> > 
> > Very few programs *should* use gccisms.  If they do, they are broke
> > since they won't build on other OS's compilers.
> 
> [ note redirect to chat ]
> 
> Various points:
> 
>   1 Non-portable != broken.  

True.  *I* consider non-portable code broken. :)

>   2 I'm amazed to see this coming from Nate "Java" Williams!

That's why I said it. :)

>     Gcc is the *platform*.  Gcc is what makes code portable, 
>     not ANSI, which is merely an idea, and not a platform.

*laugh*  Note quite.

>   3 People use gccisms because then they don't have to write asm, 
>     which is much *less* portable.

No, people use gccisms because it's easy.  Very few Linux programs that
are Linux-centric involve inline asm.  There are other gccisms that have
been encouraged as 'the right way to do things' simply because it locks
you into using GCC IMHO.

>   4 Are you planning on fixing them?  Egad, the number of ports!

Which ports *require* GCC?  This is something I'd like to know.

> > Better/faster/less buggy compiler with a much less restrictive Copyright
> > seems like a win overall to me.
> 
> Remains to be seen, as far as I am concerned.  Various points:
> 
>   1 TenDRA should be compared to GCC 2.8.1, not 2.7.2.1.  
> 
>   2 GPL should not be a restriction...

But it is.  People who use FreeBSD in 'embedded' markets may want to
keep the compiler, but don't really want to pay the penalty of
distributing to anyone that asks, or give them a way to access the
source easily.



Nate

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