Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!decwrl!ucbvax!DSL.PITT.EDU!sean
From: sean@DSL.PITT.EDU (Sean McLinden)
Newsgroups: comp.soft-sys.andrew
Subject: Re:  Dec 3100 woes
Message-ID: <9008041441.AA21614@cadre.dsl.pitt.edu>
Date: 4 Aug 90 14:41:42 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 43

Re: compiling Andrew on a DECStation 3100

We have done it and it AIN'T fun. Basically, we had to get a source
for the C library (we used a combination of System V and BSD sources),
minus the assembly language coded stuff, compile it, and then load in
things that were coded in assembler after resolving all external
references. I wouldn't want to do it, again. You also have to get
sources for libm and libn (or libln).

To me there are two reasonable alternatives:

1. DEC should make a -G 0 version of the C library available on
WRL or one of those machines as a gesture of goodwill. They should
also do it because it doesn't make a whole lotta sense to have the
-G option if you have to use a library that is compiled with some
other value than the one that you want. 

In spite of numerous requests they have yet to do this which is a
disappointment and, perhaps, why they are posting quarterly losses.

2. There is no good reason why the C library sources should not be
distributed with each system. After all, everyone HAS to implement
it, and it doesn't contain any information (or at least, it SHOULDN'T)
that should be proprietary to a single implementation of C or Unix.
Certainly the assembly language support would hardly disclose any
sensitive information. This is especially important as compiler
options become more sophisticated since the weak link is a static
C library.

It's always easy to say "I wish the GNU people would do this..."
so I won't, but it would be nice if each vendor would contribute
such to the GNU (or other) effort(s).

I can't send you the library sources that we used because of the
System V stuff (ironic, eh? you being at Bellcore!), but you are
welcome to the binaries.

Personally, I wish that the distribution of a C library for Andrew
on the MIPS had been negotiated with DEC upfront. As I understand
it, ITC has a copy, internally, but I'm not sure what, if any,
are the restrictions on their redistribution.

Sean