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From: jeffh@HyperMail.apple.com (Jeff Holcomb)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Re: Gnu C Compiler for MPW Unchained!
Message-ID: <11520@goofy.Apple.COM>
Date: 14 Dec 90 01:08:30 GMT
Sender: usenet@Apple.COM
Organization: Apple Computer, Inc.
Lines: 37
References:<1990Dec5.202855.6434@eng.umd.edu> <1990Dec11.140812.1003@chinet.chi.il.us> <11494@goofy.Apple.COM> <1990Dec13.104024.6150@chinet.chi.il.us>

In article <1990Dec13.104024.6150@chinet.chi.il.us> laird@chinet.chi.il.us 
(Laird J. Heal) writes:
> I thought I read that there was a nasty bug (SANE on a 68000 - gee that 
> includes my Portable I'm typing on) that necessitated compiling with MPW.
> Hence, one cannot reproduce his binaries without MPW C.

> It is a special case of distributing a compiler.  Macintosh software are
> also special cases in that the operating system is subordinate to the
> particular application.  Here, Apple must claim that the gcc complier is
> a complete package, and the question is where should the line be drawn.
> It seems to me that a compiler that will not compile itself correctly is
> not a complete package.

The cpp and cc1 files that make up the compiler are the third generation.  
That is:  generation one was created by compiling the sources through MPW 
C.  Generation two was created by compiling the sources using the 
generation one cpp and cc1, and generation three was created by using the 
generation two cpp and cc1.  MPWGCC is perfectly capable of compiling 
itself (better than MPW C actually).

All Apple has to do to distribute MPWGCC is to provide copies of the 
source code of MPWGCC.  We don't have to offer support, promise updates, 
etc.  As we state in the Read Me file:  "This is not an official product 
of Apple Computer!  MPW* GCC was developed to support Advanced Technology 
Group research efforts, and was deemed sufficiently useful to be made 
available to a wider audience.  If you use this compiler, you should be 
prepared to support it yourself (full sources are included)."


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Jeff Holcomb                 Internet: jeffh@HyperMail.apple.com
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         My opinions are not necessarily those of Apple.  :-P
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