Re: FreeBSD 4.0 support now in

[Loren James Rittle <rittle at latour dot rsch dot comm dot mot dot com>]

Stefanus,

In a couple of e-mails you wrote:

> What is the recommended way to compile this [on FreeBSD] - should I
> get a gcc 2.95.2 tarball, use /usr/ports/gcc-devel, use gcc 2.95.2
> from /usr/src/contrib? Any help would be greatly appreciated, I
> can't wait to start using this.

The answer to this question really depends on how much time you want
to invest into helping gcc/g++/lidstdc++ work well on FreeBSD and how
long you can wait to see new mainline features.

If you want to track the gcc mainline as a compiler user in a somewhat
pre-tested-on-FreeBSD manner, then use /usr/ports/lang/gcc-devel
(there is great value in being a "mere" user of this tree since you
will using it with most/all patches that go into the real build of gcc
for the system compiler when/if it is next upgraded).  The guy(s) who
maintain that sub-tree is/are really sharp (David, I hope you never
read this ;-).  You may have to wait for the next update to that
tree's Makefile to get the recent BSD work for libstdc++-v3 and, on
average, you will always be a week or more behind the gcc CVS
mainline.  Also, you may experience issues with trying to
configure/install with libstdc++-v3 support since the port collection
uses its own installation method that may not know of the differences
between v2 and v3 yet, I haven't checked yet.  I have built from it,
but I don't regularly use it since...

If you want to track the gcc mainline as a developer, then use the
tree at :pserver:anoncvs@anoncvs.cygnus.com:/cvs/gcc .  There are at
least four people that I know of that bootstrap the CVS mainline on
FreeBSD regularly so issues get fixed somewhat fast.  Although, there
have been times when it has been majorly broken for weeks on end since
we all have real jobs. ;-)

I personally have not attempted to use v3 with 2.95.X on FreeBSD so
you might be the first to try it.

I personally recommend that you install the latest binutils with tag
binutils-2_10-branch (I last did May 4) before you bootstrap gcc.  The
default set on FreeBSD is very old.  If you get stuck, then feel free
to e-mail me directly.

> Hmm, do you mean libstdc++-v3 is included with gcc 2.96 (cvs)?

Yes, this is now true (as of around 4/21/00).

> I have been looking at the libstdc++ cvs from cygnus.com so far, it seems
> to be the same as the april 20 snapshot - should I be looking somewhere
> else for really bleeding edge, current cvs?

Yup, don't use that anymore other than to check the history pre-move.

Regards,
Loren