Date: Sun, 28 Feb 1999 17:17:12 -0500 (EST) From: Chuck Robey <chuckr@mat.net> To: "David O'Brien" <obrien@NUXI.com> Cc: The Hermit Hacker <scrappy@hub.org>, freebsd-current@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: gcc Message-ID: <Pine.BSF.4.10.9902281706480.339-100000@picnic.mat.net> In-Reply-To: <19990228133652.B475@relay.nuxi.com>
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On Sun, 28 Feb 1999, David O'Brien wrote: > > It should be too easy to replace the compiler after the system is > > installed...and shouldn't be seen as a major "hindrance"... > > But as Micro$hit knows, being able to check off feature boxes is > important. Here, the CS dept encourages people that own a PC to install > a Unix at home (we are still 100% Unix based for classes). When I push > FreeBSD, I get asked if EGCS comes with it. I say no not by default, but > we have a very easy to add version of it. They say, why go through the > trouble if Linux already has it by default. Same for our support > people. They are the laziest and most non-computer enthusiast group I've > ever seen. Path of least effort is what wins with them. Please keep in mind that if, in our haste, we import a compiler that puts instability into FreeBSD, then we've drunk poison. The feature list won't matter, the fact that we're up to date won't matter, the fact that FreeBSD suddenly, out of the blue, became unstable is the only thing that anyone will remember. I'm not against egcs if it can be shown to be stable. I'm completely against it if it exposes FreeBSD to bugs outside our control. That's my only argument in favor of gcc28, but *please* don't disregard it. I am in CS classes too, and David's points are precisely correct, but they *aren't* the number one concern, even for a student who would *love* to have the latest compiler. Maintaining FreeBSD's exemplary reputation is my number one concern here. If it means asking certain folks (like me!) to install a port to get a particular compiler, that's then something we should view separately (not less, but separately). If David comes up with a test compiler, I want to install it, and test it myself for at least 20 buildworld/installworld&kernel/cvsup cycles. I would want at least several others to report their results too. We need to move forward *quickly* to either gcc28 or egcs, but please, don't be willing to sacrifice stability. I can do that testing with automated scripts, so it wouldn't need lots of my time, and I would do that happily. ----------------------------+----------------------------------------------- Chuck Robey | Interests include any kind of voice or data chuckr@glue.umd.edu | communications topic, C programming, and Unix. 213 Lakeside Drive Apt T-1 | Greenbelt, MD 20770 | I run picnic (FreeBSD-current) (301) 220-2114 | and jaunt (Solaris7). ----------------------------+----------------------------------------------- To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-current" in the body of the message
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