Message-Id: <m0vwpLJ-000S1mC@natacha.inti.edu.ar>
Comments: Authenticated sender is <salvador AT natacha DOT inti DOT edu DOT ar>
From: "Salvador Eduardo Tropea (SET)" <salvador AT natacha DOT inti DOT edu DOT ar>
Organization: INTI
To: "John M. Aldrich" <fighteer AT cs DOT com>, djgpp AT delorie DOT com
Date: Tue, 18 Feb 1997 16:24:36 +0000
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Subject: Re: gcc as a cross-compiler

Hi All:

> eab AT salnet DOT org wrote:
> > 
> > Do you think it would be possible to "configure" gcc as a cross-compiler
> > for an 8-bit computer?  I was thinking primarily of the Commodore 64.
> > (I don't actually have a Commodore 64 anymore, but I have an emulator on
> > my computer.)  I know that in addition to that I would either have write
> > an additional part for gas or write my own assembler, and I'd need to
> > write a standard library for it.
> 
> Unfortunately, it's nearly impossible.  All of the GNU software is
> specifically designed to be used only on 32-bit platforms, and even
> though it's possible to create a new set of machine descriptions, doing
> so for an 8-bit machine would be... hairy.  :)  
> Besides, how exactly are
> you going to get your C64 to read DOS-formatted disks?
Easy, the C128 drive (1571) reads MFM diskettes, the FAT system is simple 
enough to read from it, some time ago I made a program that was able to write a 
file that then can be read from a PC with a 1571. But he don't even need that 
for example some years ago I needed to transfer some data from a C128 to an XT 
(was the postal codes of my city :-), and I simply made a wire and an stupid 
soft to connect the PC's LPT and the user port of the C128. Even more, there 
are a program that can read and write files from a 1571 drive attached to the 
PC's LPT (works only on old machines because is dependent of the LPT speed).
So that's the easy part, the hard part is the machine description, the 
contraints (or wherever are called) are just a nightmare.

> If you are really, really set on such a project, you'll need to get the
> full gcc source distributions from the FSF (not the ported versions for
> DJGPP), and enlist a lot of aid from a lot of people...
I agree.

But why to make that?, there are free C compilers much small than GCC with 
sources.

SET 
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Salvador Eduardo Tropea (SET).
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