Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!mcvax!botter!ast
From: ast@cs.vu.nl (Andy Tanenbaum)
Newsgroups: comp.os.minix
Subject: Re: C v1.2 compiler sources (ARRGG!!)
Message-ID: <1766@botter.cs.vu.nl>
Date: 30 Nov 87 14:19:30 GMT
References: <515@altura.srcsip.UUCP>
Reply-To: ast@cs.vu.nl (Andy Tanenbaum)
Organization: VU Informatica, Amsterdam
Lines: 27

In article <515@altura.srcsip.UUCP> linde@srcsip.UUCP () writes:
>Hmmm 
[ comments about the C compiler source]

The comments are basically true.  I have mentioned this before, and might
as well mention it again.  The "sources" that UniPress and Transmediair
are distributing are C programs that can be compiled on MINIX and to some
extent modified.  They were generated using ACK.  ACK itself does not run
on a PC class machine.  It runs nicely on VAXes, SUNs, etc.  The installation
instructions start with something like: "First free up at least 40 megabytes
of disk space".  The installation procedure sets up some 4 or 5 front ends and
a dozen or so back ends and takes an appreciable fraction of a day to install
on a VAX or SUN.

Thus, it simply isn't possible to do anything at all with the meta-sources
on a PC.  As a next best alternative, we made the output from the compiler-
compilers, in C available.  These will compile with MINIX ok.  Some of the
passes can be easily hacked by hand; others are table driven, so there is
less you can do.

The C sources are not entirely useless, even aside from changing them.  Many
people have been interested in cross compiling for MINIX on larger UNIX
systems.  Since the C compiler sources being distributed as just ordinary
C programs that make V7 system calls (mostly just read and write), they
can be ported to other UNIX systems quite easily.

Andy Tanenbaum (ast@cs.vu.nl)