[ale] Moving Right Along..

[Dave Brooks]

Well, all this being true, the bottom line (most likely) is "The latest
stable kernels -will not- compile with the latest C compilers."  Does that
then in fact make them stable?  Seems rather oxymoronic to me.  *shrug*

-D


> It has been stated on the linux-kernel list that egcs as well as
>gcc 2.8.1 will NOT correctly compile the 2.0.x kernels but WILL correctly
>compile the 2.1.x kernels.  That has been stated by several authoritative
>developers including, but not limited to, Linus, Alan Cox, and (I think)
>Dave Miller.  I would take that as a pretty firm statement.
>

> It seems really REALLY rediculous to blame the libraries for the
>kernel not correctly compiling, considering that the libraries are not
>used by the kernel (think about it - the libraries use the kernel - not
>the other way around).  Now if it was something in the libraries which
>was causing egcs to screw up...  Nah...  Too far fetched...
>

> Best explaination I heard was a discussion over "grey areas" of
>compiler interpretation.  Things like calling functions with other
functions
>in parameter lists and all of them dependent on global variables.  One
>compiler may order things one way, while another may order it differently.
>Neither are "wrong" per se, since they are working in an "implimenation
>dependent" area.  I think one person even submitted a snippet of code that
>compiled with one result under gcc 2.7.x and another under egcs.  The code
>"looked" ok, but it innocently hit an area where the compiler behavior is
>not defined by any standard and it differed...  It was an artificial
>condition, but it did illustrated that compiler dependencies can occur in
>legitimate looking code.
>
> If even one thing in the 2.0.x kernels had something that was
>in the "implimentation dependent" code interpretation arena, then
>switching to egcs could very easily have broken something.  Under that
>circumstance, you can do all the finger pointing you like and both sides
>will be fully able to justify and support their positions.  Neither are
>"wrong" but the combination is still broken.  So, as the old country doctor
>says, "If it hurts when you do that - stop doing that".
>
>>     Jeremy T. Bouse - SouthNet TeleComm Services, Inc - www.STSI.net
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>>
>
> Mike
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