Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!mailrus!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!nic.MR.NET!umn-cs!mmm!schultz
From: schultz@mmm.UUCP (John C Schultz)
Newsgroups: comp.os.os9
Subject: Re: Soapbox ramblings (long)
Summary: How about getting GNU software working fo OS9
Keywords: GNU GCC GDB public domain
Message-ID: <1196@mmm.UUCP>
Date: 27 Dec 88 02:18:49 GMT
References: <3979@tekigm2.MEN.TEK.COM>
Reply-To: schultz@mmm.UUCP (John C Schultz)
Organization: 3M Company - ES&T; St. Paul, MN
Lines: 36

>(... up on the soapbox...)
>
>Am I alone in thinking that Microware's pricing strategies are out of line
>with the supposed home computer market? I have been running OS-9/68k version
>1.2 at home on my Uniquad 2, and a couple of months ago I got the upgrade
>to 2.1. The upgrade cost me $75 from the board manufacturer, which was
>reasonable; however, the upgrade did not come with manuals, nor were they
>available from Hazelwood or Frank Hogg Labs. That left Microware as the
>only source.
>
How about porting GNU compilers etc. for OS9?  The price is right - free.

We have compiled code on SUN and downloaded to standalone 68000s which
run OS9 so the changes should be minor.  What needs to be done is a
method of getting the executable header from OS9 so that GCC can
generate executable files for OS9.

It would be nice if Microware realized that they are wasting their
time with their C compiler/debugger and simply began supporting GNU
GCC and GDB.  I would think such a decision would actually save them
money since GCC is already better (e.g. GCC correctly compiles
floating point and complex function calls) than the OS9 C compiler.
OS9 would then also have a C++ compiler in the form of G++.  

GDB is at least as good as SUNs DBXTOOL.  I am impressed by its
ability to modify source code values and print the value of complex
expressions.  


And before someone says "Well why don't you do it?", it is in my
do-on-your-own-time queue but down quite aways behind wife, children,
house, work I get paid for, ...
-- 
   john c. schultz         schultz@mmm.3m.UUCP          (612) 733-4047
           3M Center, Bldg 518-1-1, St. Paul, MN 55144-1000
  The opinions expressed herein are, as always, my own and not 3M's.