egcs-1.1 and linux-2.0.35

[Toon Moene]

>  Today I compiled linux kernel 2.0.35 on a i686 with
>  egcs-2.91.54, but for my i486: Configured for a 486, most
>  notably, using -m486 thus.  Nevertheless, XF86_SVGA
>  segfaulted.
>
>  I then compiled with gcc-2.7.3 the same kernel (on the
>  486, but using the same source tree nfs mounted), and
>  then it worked.

[ You probably mean gcc-2.7.2.3 ]

>  Does this mean:
>
>  1) A 2.0 kernel compiled with egcs never works.
>
>  or
>
>  2) A 2.0 kernel compiled with egcs on a pentiumpro (but
>  for a 486)
>     doesn't work, but using egcs on the 486 itself might
>     still work correctly.  (I didn't try this).

Alan Cox, who does the Linux 2.0.x release management, basically  
said that he doesn't want to spend time on searching and eradicating  
all places where the 2.0 kernels are wrong w.r.t. either egcs or  
gcc-2.8.

So your best bet is to keep a gcc-2.7.2.3 around for compiling 2.0  
kernels.

On the 2.1.x series, egcs _should_ be doing fine.  If a kernel in  
that series doesn't compile, or doesn't work, there are three  
possibilities:

1. There's a bug or a shortcoming in egcs (like the regparm issue).
2. There's a bug in an asm used by the kernel.
3. There's a mismatch between the documentation of egcs and its
   real behaviour (e.g. the "asm-without-explicit-output-registers
   -is-supposed-to-be-volatile" issue December last year).

Hoop dat je hier wat aan hebt.
Toon.