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From: fouts@orville.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Porting GCC to Atari ST
Message-ID: <1014@ames.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 27-Mar-87 13:42:47 EST
Article-I.D.: ames.1014
Posted: Fri Mar 27 13:42:47 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 28-Mar-87 15:41:46 EST
References: <3450@elroy.Jpl.Nasa.Gov> <975@ames.UUCP> <2822@mit-hermes.AI.MIT.EDU>
Sender: usenet@ames.UUCP
Reply-To: fouts@orville.UUCP (Marty Fouts)
Organization: NASA Ames Research Center, Mountain View, CA
Lines: 41
Keywords: C GCC Gnu FSF

In article <2822@mit-hermes.AI.MIT.EDU> phr@hermes.UUCP (Paul Rubin) writes:
>I don't understand the comment that GCC is best used as the code
>generator for another compiler.  This makes no sense.

Let me put the remark back into the context you took it out of, and
rephrase into small sentences so that it will make sense: (;-)

The contex is that of a C compiler for the existing ST in the near future.
The point was made with the understanding that FSF would be unable to
produce a kernel that ran on the existing ST.  The point was made with
the uderstanding that FSF would be unable to produce an assembler,
loader or librarian for the existing ST. The point was made with the
understanding that FSF would require time to produce the source for
the librarian.

Given this context, the point is that existing ST users should not
expect to be able to use the GNU C compiler as is.  If an existing ST
user wants to use the GNU C compiler, it may be possible.  However,
the GNU C compiler isn't (yet) a C compiler, all that it available now
is a translator from C to assembler.  For the phrase translator to
assembler, I used the short hand code generator.  This short hand is
probably what confused you (;-)

In a small way, I am trying to help FSF by obtaining the beta GNU C
compiler, and in a way consistent with the GENERAL PUBLIC License,
debug and port that compiler.   FSF will benefit from this effor in
exactly the way Stallman proposes in the GNU Manifesto.

The C compiler has the same potential as GNU Emacs to be used outside
of GNU.  As Emacs runs on non GNU systems and is useful to non GNU
users, so could the C compiler be.  Further, GNU users, if there ever
are any will benefit by the extensive beta testing of the GNU C
compiler that multiple ports would afford.

However (Flame on, Thrusters to FULL :-(  The only response I've
gotten, (both here from Paul Rubin, and elsewhere from Len Tower) from
people who appear to be associated with FSF has been abuse.  I would
suggest that if FSF wants support from a user community, they would be
better served by supporting that user community than by p*ss*ng on it.

Marty