From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: by sourceware.org (Postfix, from userid 48) id 72E533858004; Sat, 3 Apr 2021 20:14:48 +0000 (GMT) DKIM-Filter: OpenDKIM Filter v2.11.0 sourceware.org 72E533858004 From: "adrelanos at whonix dot org" To: gcc-bugs@gcc.gnu.org Subject: [Bug c/99900] New: feature request: 16-bit x86 C compiler / support compilation of (VirtualBox) BIOS Date: Sat, 03 Apr 2021 20:14:48 +0000 X-Bugzilla-Reason: CC X-Bugzilla-Type: new X-Bugzilla-Watch-Reason: None X-Bugzilla-Product: gcc X-Bugzilla-Component: c X-Bugzilla-Version: unknown X-Bugzilla-Keywords: X-Bugzilla-Severity: normal X-Bugzilla-Who: adrelanos at whonix dot org X-Bugzilla-Status: UNCONFIRMED X-Bugzilla-Resolution: X-Bugzilla-Priority: P3 X-Bugzilla-Assigned-To: unassigned at gcc dot gnu.org X-Bugzilla-Target-Milestone: --- X-Bugzilla-Flags: X-Bugzilla-Changed-Fields: bug_id short_desc product version bug_status bug_severity priority component assigned_to reporter target_milestone Message-ID: Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-Bugzilla-URL: http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/ Auto-Submitted: auto-generated MIME-Version: 1.0 X-BeenThere: gcc-bugs@gcc.gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.29 Precedence: list List-Id: Gcc-bugs mailing list List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sat, 03 Apr 2021 20:14:48 -0000 https://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=3D99900 Bug ID: 99900 Summary: feature request: 16-bit x86 C compiler / support compilation of (VirtualBox) BIOS Product: gcc Version: unknown Status: UNCONFIRMED Severity: normal Priority: P3 Component: c Assignee: unassigned at gcc dot gnu.org Reporter: adrelanos at whonix dot org Target Milestone: --- "Oracle VM VirtualBox, the world's most popular open source, cross-platform, virtualization software" According to the VirtualBox developers it is not possible to build the VirtualBox BIOS with gcc or any other Free Software compiler. Quote VirtualBox developer https://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/12011 "We would be glad to fix this, but we lack the resources to do so as our BI= OS code has simply outgrown what bcc (which we were using before and which was always very limiting) can do. We have failed to find another free 16-bit x8= 6 C compiler up to the job," "generating 16-bit code is one thing, but supporting e.g. far/near pointers" It is currently compiled using the Open Watcom compiler which is under the Sybase Open Watcom Public License license. That license is not FSF approved. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sybase_Open_Watcom_Public_License Even stated it being a nonfree license. https://www.gnu.org/licenses/license-list.html#Watcom The VirtualBox BIOS source code can be found here: * https://www.virtualbox.org/browser/vbox/trunk/src/VBox/Devices/PC/BIOS * https://github.com/mirror/vbox/tree/master/src/VBox/Devices/PC/BIOS feature request: Could you please develop a 16-bit x86 C compiler that supp= orts compilation of VirtualBox BIOS / any BIOS?=