Binary Compatibility between 2.96 and 2.95.3

Binary Compatibility between 2.96 and 2.95.3

[Chris Smith]

[-- Attachment #1: Type: text/plain, Size: 551 bytes --]

Hi Folks,	
	I have read on http://gcc.gnu.org/gcc-2.96.html that 2.96 compiled
binaries (e.g. in RH7.1) are incompatible with 2.95.2. We have a large
amount of libraries and binaries compile dwith 2.95.3 (i.e. not 2.95.2)
that we are running on RH7.1 without observing any problems.

Does anybody know what the situation is concerning this compatibility? Is
it really a problem? Is it still a problem with 2.95.3 instead of 2.95.2?

How will the incompatibility manifest itself?

The page on the GNU site was written in October 2000....

Thanks

Chris

[-- Attachment #2: Card for Chris Smith --]
[-- Type: text/x-vcard, Size: 386 bytes --]

begin:vcard 
n:Smith;Chris
tel;fax:+46 8 647 8276
tel;work:+46 8 7275726
x-mozilla-html:FALSE
org:Distributed Systems;Ericsson Utvecklings AB
version:2.1
email;internet:Chris.Smith@uab.ericsson.se
title:Project Manager TSP/TelORB Software
adr;quoted-printable:;;Box 1505,=0D=0AArmborstv=E4gen 14,=0D=0A=C4lvsj=F6;Stockholm;;S-12525;Sweden
x-mozilla-cpt:;-30136
fn:Chris Smith
end:vcard

Re: Binary Compatibility between 2.96 and 2.95.3

[Claudio Bley]

>>>>> "Chris" == Chris Smith <Chris.Smith@uab.ericsson.se> writes:

    Chris> Hi Folks, I have read on http://gcc.gnu.org/gcc-2.96.html
    Chris> that 2.96 compiled binaries (e.g. in RH7.1) are
    Chris> incompatible with 2.95.2. We have a large amount of
    Chris> libraries and binaries compile dwith 2.95.3 (i.e. not
    Chris> 2.95.2) that we are running on RH7.1 without observing any
    Chris> problems.

The site you mentioned also states:

,----
| Actually, C and Fortran code will probably be compatible, but code in
| other languages, most notably C++ due to incompatibilities in symbol
| encoding (``mangling''), the standard library and the application
| binary interface (ABI), is likely to fail in some way. Static linking
| against C++ libraries may make a binary more portable, at the cost of
| increasing file size and memory use.
`----

    Chris> Does anybody know what the situation is concerning this
    Chris> compatibility? Is it really a problem? Is it still a
    Chris> problem with 2.95.3 instead of 2.95.2?

Yes. And yes. But as stated above C and Fortran are usually fine.

    Chris> How will the incompatibility manifest itself?

Linking problems, relocation errors (if my memory serves right),
segfaults.


Claudio