On Sat, 5 Apr 2008, Darren Jenkins wrote:
> On Sat, Apr 5, 2008 at 12:18 AM, Robert P. J. Day <rpjday@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > is it even remotely feasible that the kernel might someday support
> > a non-GNU C compiler, given the numerous gcc extensions that are
> > used?
>
> I think people are working on getting tinycc to compile an
> un-modified kernel, and I think LLVM is close-ish, also some BSD
> guys are working on PCC so it might be able to compile the kernel in
> the (distant?)future.
>
> It concerns me a little that GCC is the only OSS compiler that can
> compile the kernel.
well, as i mentioned earlier, the intel compiler is also officially
approved, but it defines __GNUC__ so it masquerades as gcc, anyway.
and, as a followup to my original question, once i looked closer, it
does look like most of that "#ifdef __GNUC__" checking does get
exported to userspace, quite possibly for exactly the reason darren
mentions -- to support *userspace* non-gcc compilation. i'm sure
there are *some* superfluous in-kernel __GNUC__ tests, but probably
nowhere near as many as i first suspected.
rday
--
========================================================================
Robert P. J. Day
Linux Consulting, Training and Annoying Kernel Pedantry:
Have classroom, will lecture.
http://crashcourse.ca Waterloo, Ontario, CANADA
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