Compiler woes

[David F. Carlson]

Recently there have been some postings crying about problems in the Microport
compilers.  First, let's be fair and note that Microport's compilers are
all AT&T PCC based.  Thus, most problems are not theirs at all.  The nasty
segmented architecture in the 286 version has some multi-segment problems
that makes multi-segment arrays of pointers (and huge arrays) difficult.
These may be called bugs but 99.99% of all c code I've compiled on the 286
version of these compilers have not required this missing functionality.
If anyone here remembers PDP-11 UNIX compilers, then be grateful that PCC has
~10 years of solid debugged operation.

As for intimations that the 386 compilers are bad, I have found no bugs in
my 6 months of managing professional software developers using it.  Please
bring these apparently copious bugs to our attention rather than just 
slandering and flaming.  Also, to the best of my knowledge, unlike the 
286 compiler, Microport received the 386 compiler lock-stock-and-barrel
from AT&T by way of ISC.  No value-added whatsoever.  As far as comparable
worth, I own a Microsoft 4.0 compiler ($400) that is so buggy that I had
to find another way to get my job done.  I would take even the 286 Microport
compiler over *any* Microsoft compiler product any day of the week.

As for the compiler that is used to compile the OS, etc., rest assured that
the Green Hills C is not being used.  Nor is it being shipped with the software
development package, as indicated in current advertising.  I have had some
experience with the GHC/386 and it is not a UNIX compiler:  it has its own
non-UNIX compatible libraries and some of those system calls are similar
enough to Clib functions that mixed mode operation will undoubtably cause
problems.  The GHC has some really nice optimization for stack linkage and
register allocation but UNIX people want a compiler that can deal with UNIX
libraries rather than non-shared, non-standard, third party libaries.
Suffice to say, it may be a long time before a third party C compiler is
available on the 386 so don't sweat it.

Although many new users seem to think flaming Microport is great sport, let's
try to improve things rather than just slash at them.  Back up reports of 
bugs with facts and observations not idle gossip about buggy this or that.



-- 
David F. Carlson, Micropen, Inc.
...!{ames|harvard|rutgers|topaz|...}!rochester!ur-valhalla!micropen!dave

"The faster I go, the behinder I get." --Lewis Carroll