probs building gcc-2.95.2 on old SGI/Irix toolset

[gary at Intrepid dot Com (Gary Funck)]

Hello, I'm trying to upgrade from 2.7.2 gcc to 2.95.2.
When 2.7.2 was built, it used the native assembler in /usr/bin/as.
Although I'm running IRIX 6.2, the native assembler is circa 5.3
(1994) of the OS.  I didn't bother to upgrade the native tools because
I mainly used gcc for develpment, and the old host-based tools
worked just fine.

When building 2.95.2, the make fails on the first attempt to compile
libgcc2:

>   /disk2/src/gcc-2.95.2/gcc/xgcc -B/disk2/src/gcc-2.95.2/gcc/ -B/usr/local/mips-sgi-irix6.2/bin/ -I/usr/local/mips-sgi-irix6.2/include -O2   -DIN_GCC     -O2 -I./include   -g1  -DIN_LIBGCC2 -D__GCC_FLOAT_NOT_NEEDED    -I. -I. -I./config -I./../include -c -DL${name} \
>        ./libgcc2.c -o ${name}.o; \
>   if [ $? -eq 0 ] ; then true; else exit 1; fi; \
>   ar rc tmplibgcc2.a ${name}.o; \
>   rm -f ${name}.o; \
> done
> _muldi3
> as ERROR:  as is not installed in /usr/bin/../lib64/cmplrs/../lib64/cmplrs/as
> make[3]: *** [libgcc2.a] Error 1

That 'as' error above is the result of invoking the native assembler
with the -n32 ("new" 32 bit ABI) switch, instead of invoking it
with the -32 ("old" ABI) switch.  In the toolset that I'm using
only -32 is supported.  I haven't yet traced through the logic
that ultimately asserts -n32, but I think it has something to
do with "multilib" support.  Is that a correct conclusion?

Here's the make step that apparently enables multilib support:
> /bin/sh ./genmultilib \
>   "mabi=n32/mabi=64" \
>   "" \
>   "" \
>   "" \
>   "" > tmp-mlib.h


Since I'm not presently interested in -n32 or -n64 on this box,
what is the best method for disabling -n32/-n64 support?  If that
support is disabled, will I likely be able to build gcc without
the type of failure above?

thanks, - Gary