Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!iuvax!rutgers!mit-eddie!uw-beaver!rice!sun-spots-request From: montanaro@sprite.steinmetz.ge.com Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun Subject: Re: SUN-4 FPU Message-ID: Date: 9 Feb 89 03:58:32 GMT References: <8901222120.AA03118@alm.II.UIB.NO> Sender: usenet@rice.edu Organization: GE Corporate Research & Development Lines: 13 Approved: Sun-Spots@rice.edu Original-Date: 1 Feb 89 17:58:20 GMT X-Sun-Spots-Digest: Volume 7, Issue 146, message 3 of 8 The Sun-4 compilers always assume that an FPU is installed. Without an FPU (as on Bruce Barnett's Sun-4/110) attempts to execute FP instructions cause a trap to the kernel, where they are then executed in software. I tried compiling a small floating point program on a Solborne. Their compiler (and I assume Sun's as well) accepts -fsoft on the command line but ignores it. The generated assembler still contains FPU instructions, not calls to software FP routines. It makes you wonder if Sun actually tried any floating point stuff on non-FPU graced Sun-4/110s before they began letting them out the door. -- Skip Montanaro (montanaro@sprite.steinmetz.ge.com, montanaro@ge-crd.arpa)