Public SourceMage Discussion List

[Mark Andrews <msasgl AT msa-enterprises.com>]

Hello Seth,

Sunday, October 6, 2002, 12:09:44 PM, you wrote:

SW> If you wrap the target compilation into gcc, I hope this will not
SW> break cross-platform distributed compilation. 

No, it won't. I want to make this easier.

SW> I know you could get around this by having you pick arch specs on cast
SW> gcc, but have it apply to all casts on that machine.

In the data file I am proposing there is an option for gcc install
options. This is purely hypothetical at this point but I can see
the gcc spell using this field to allow the user to select which
target platforms they want when installing gcc.

SW> But if you make it apply to all compiles directly, cross-platform
SW> distributed compilation would break.

Breaking this would be something that the user could do by specifying
just the local machine to be supported as a gcc target. If someone
only ever compiles for i586 for example, then they shouldn't need gcc
to support everything under the sun. Those that do want everything
can and would select all targets.

But at this point my work isn't changing anything in how sorcery or
the gcc spell works. I'm developing a system to scan the hardware
information provided by the kernel and present it in a more useful
format. That's it. Nothing breaks. How integral to future updates of
sorcery this "new" information becomes, really remains to be seen.

Everything that the hardware detect does will be placed in simple text
files so that targets can be created manually as well - the Zaurus
would be an example of a system that would need to be done manually.

It's why I decided on a fairly high level of abstraction from the cpu
for this data file. It also why I said that cpudetect would have a
collection of the data files as well as its automatic stuff.

SW> And I'd really like to have this feature.

Me too ;-) See my reply to Ryan.. basically I want things like:

"cast -target zaurus tuxracer" to work.

-- 
Best regards,
 Mark                            mailto:msasgl AT msa-enterprises.com