Re: building native cross compiler

[Ian Lance Taylor <iant@google.com>]

Michael Zintakis <michael.zintakis@googlemail.com> writes:

> OK, speculating a bit and expanding this further with two more queries
> - 
> if I do not know the target system in advance (i.e. the target for
> GCC2) but this target is specified when the whole build process is
> initiated, would the procedure we discussed on this thread differ?
>
> In other words, if, via a command line parameter or some environment
> variable, the target system is specified when the build up process is
> initiated and is, say, m68, and if I follow the process as discussed
> on this thread, i.e.:- 1) build GCC1 (native-3stage-x86_64), then 2)
> build x86_64-x-m68 (GCC2), then 3) build m68-native (GCC3), 4) use
> GCC2 to compile the rest of the software for native m68 environment
> and 5) prepare the image file for installation. Would that be the
> right path to follow (i.e. same process but for different target
> system)?

Yes.

> And my second (speculative) query - would it be wise to skip the first
> step in this process (building GCC1) and build GCC2 instead and
> continue the path from there? What would be the implications if such
> path is to be followed (if at all possible that is)?

It would be neither wise nor unwise.  It would save some time, and there
would be a very small risk that the compiler you used instead of GCC1
had a bug.  (That has actually happened to me--a bug in the first
compiler which subtly miscompiled the second compiler and caused
problems in the code it generated--but not for many years.)

Ian