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From: jca@pnet01.cts.com (John C. Archambeau)
Newsgroups: comp.os.minix
Subject: Re: Compress (really "Large Model" compilers)
Message-ID: <4679@crash.cts.com>
Date: 23 Jul 89 13:22:09 GMT
Sender: news@crash.cts.com
Organization: People-Net [pnet01], El Cajon CA
Lines: 37

ast@cs.vu.nl (Andy Tanenbaum) writes:
>In article <4671@crash.cts.com> jca@pnet01.cts.com (John C. Archambeau) writes:
>>What can you do with the current Minix C compiler besides recompile
>>the kernel?  Nothing really, 
>
>At least count there were about 150 "standard" MINIX programs you could compile.
>
>>I want a REAL C compiler for it that will fully utilize the idiosyncrasies
>>of the 80286 architecture 
>I, for one, am absolutely, irrevocably, unequivocably, and adamantly
>opposed to that mentality, except for people over 65, who grew up with
>the ENIAC and MARK I generation.  If there is anything we have learned about
>computer science in the past 20 years, it is that programs should be
>portable.  A program written in a high-level language, be it C, Pascal, Ada,
>or even FORTRAN, should not be tailored to one specific architecture,
>and certainly not one on the way out.
 
Maybe I should have clarified my position.  What I want is a smart
compiler/linker that will utilize the FULL power of the processor.  If the
compiler/linker detects an 8086 then the appropriate code will be generated
for that CPU.  If there's a 286 then it will compile to 286 protect mode
unless otherwise specified (and this code will also run under a 386 and a 486
because of Intel's nice design policy of maintaining downward compatability),
same goes for 386 and so on down the line until Intel abandons the iAPX 86
family.  You and I both know that the compiler/linker is both OS as well as
hardware dependant.  I want a compiler/linker that will spot what CPU/Minix
version (i.e. stock PC, 286 protect mode, 386, and so on).  The ideal is to
have a general purpose compiler/linker for Minix on the iAPX 86 family of
CPUs.

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