RE: Why do we build using "bootstrap"?

RE: Why do we build using "bootstrap"?

[Michael C. Tiernan]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: John Love-Jensen [mailto:eljay@adobe.com] 
> Sent: Tuesday, April 11, 2006 8:58 AM
> To: Michael C. Tiernan
> Subject: Re: Why do we build using "bootstrap"?
>
> I thought the subpage 
> <http://gcc.gnu.org/install/build.html>, "0.1 Building
> a native compiler" in particular explained why we boostrap 
> and what we gain.

This is what kills me. Yes, John points me to 50% of the answer that was right in front of me.

The remaining 50% was point out by Andrew Haley's response.

I *knew* I was having a brain cramp.

Thank you all for pointing me in the right direction.

And thanks to John and Andrew for being patient and lighting my way.

Why do we build using "bootstrap"?

[Michael C. Tiernan]

Okay, I am so embarrassed I can't tell you. To be writing to this group with such a simpleton question kills me. I swear to dog I've done this a gazillion times too.

I'm attempting to build gcc-4.0.2 for a Solaris 7 system (need to put it in a specific place) and I always remember using the bootstrap flags for configure as well as the make and now I can't remember why! I have searched through everything I can think of and I can't find the "why" of this. It's killing me to have to ask this group for a pointer to this.

The question is:
Where can I find references to the proper sequence of steps for building gcc specifically what is gained by using the bootstrap flag (at configure and at build)?

Thank you all for your time and my apologies for having to waste bandwidth on such a simple thing.

Re: Why do we build using "bootstrap"?

[John Love-Jensen]

Hi Michael,

Do you mean this...
http://gcc.gnu.org/install/index.html

Sincerely,
--Eljay

RE: Why do we build using "bootstrap"?

[Michael C. Tiernan]

> Sent: Tuesday, April 11, 2006 8:34 AM
> To: Michael C. Tiernan; MSX to GCC
> Subject: Re: Why do we build using "bootstrap"?
> 
> Hi Michael,
> Do you mean this...
> http://gcc.gnu.org/install/index.html
> Sincerely,
> --Eljay

Thank you for the reply.

No, that's not it. Or at least, I can't find any reference from that as to *why* we bootstrap and what we gain by doing so. I've read the install doc and I can't find what I need.

Of course, I may now have too much blood in my caffeine system and might not have seen the reference in it. If that's the case, I apologize.

Again, thank you.

RE: Why do we build using "bootstrap"?

[Andrew Haley]

Michael C. Tiernan writes:
 > > Sent: Tuesday, April 11, 2006 8:34 AM
 > > To: Michael C. Tiernan; MSX to GCC
 > > Subject: Re: Why do we build using "bootstrap"?
 > > 
 > > Hi Michael,
 > > Do you mean this...
 > > http://gcc.gnu.org/install/index.html
 > > Sincerely,
 > > --Eljay
 > 
 > Thank you for the reply.
 > 
 > No, that's not it. Or at least, I can't find any reference from that as to *why* we bootstrap and what we gain by doing so. I've read the install doc and I can't find what I need.

Two reasons:

1.  We compile the compiler with itself.  This is a very good way to
    test the compiler we just built.

2.  Newer versions of gcc have better warnings and checking and
    (hopefully) generate better code.  So the resulting compiler
    should be faster.

Andrew.