Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uwm.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!munnari.oz.au!bruce!trlluna!ait!greg
From: greg@ait.trl.oz (Greg Aumann)
Newsgroups: comp.os.minix
Subject: Minix needs a C compiler with source
Message-ID: <1050@trlluna.trl.oz>
Date: 19 Feb 90 00:03:02 GMT
Sender: root@trlluna.trl.oz
Lines: 53

It is becoming more and more obvoius that Minix needs a C compiler with
source that can be distributed without restrictions and modified
easily.  Problems caused by the current ACK compiler are that it is
difficult to get bugs fixed.  There is little hope of seeing desirable
extensions such as ANSI conformance etc.  Also you cannot look at the
source and learn about compilers.  The original intention of using
minix to teach OS courses or for self study could apply equally well to
compilers if the source were available and readable.  Note when I write
compiler I also mean to include an assembler and a loader.

The ideal minix compiler would be small so that it would fit in 64k
(probably with multiple passes),  it would have the same front end for
the ST and the PC, be distributed on the minix disks in source form (or
at least on the net in source form), and it would be easy to modify to
add say floating point and ANSI conforamce for a start and to port to
new architectures.

The ACK compiler kit is out as it is much too big and expensive.  The
source generated by the kit is also of little or no use as it is
unmodifiable.  Gcc is also too big (although this may not apply in a
few more years).

It seems that there are really two good candidates.  One is for some
minix fiend to write one and release it.  This may the intention of
Bruce Evans who has released binaries for a PC compiler that he is
working on.  A second alternative is the Sozoban C compiler.  I don't
know a great deal about it but my understanding is that generates code
for the 68000 is fairly portable and it fits the above criteria.

Would someone who knows more about the Sozoban compiler please comment
on its suitability for minix and how easy it would be to modify the
backend to generate code for the 8086 and 80386 etc.  Also could Bruce
please comment on what he intends for his compiler.

Personally I think the best solution would be to find an existing
compiler that is close to what we want and modify it.  This is because
writing a compiler from scratch is a very large task and shouldn't be
underestimated.  Would anyone who know of other possibly suitable
compilers please also comment.

This article is an invitation for comments.  Hopefully it will end in a
consensus of how to get the sort of compiler that we want and need for 
minix.

Greg Aumann
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Artificial Intelligence Systems         ACSnet:    greg@trlamct.trl.oz
Telecom Research Laboratories           Internet:  greg@trlamct.trl.oz.au
Melbourne, AUSTRALIA                    Voice:     +61 3 541 6222
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Artificial Intelligence Systems         ACSnet:    greg@trlamct.trl.oz
Telecom Research Laboratories           Internet:  greg@trlamct.trl.oz.au
Melbourne, AUSTRALIA                    Voice:     +61 3 541 6222