Building gcc with gnu binutils automatically

Building gcc with gnu binutils automatically

[NightStrike]

If you use gnu ld or as to build GCC, you get extra features in gcc
itself.  There's a few bugzilla PRs on this, and a lot of emails on
the mailing list.  What I don't see, however, is how I can have
configure detect the usage of GNU binutils automatically.  In other
words, without explicitly passing in --with-gnu-ld/as, I don't get the
features in question.

Is there a way to do this?  Or, is there a way to fix configure so
that it does some test without requiring the option?  Also, is there a
way to do this for a cross compiler?

Re: Building gcc with gnu binutils automatically

[NightStrike]

On Sun, Jun 10, 2012 at 1:26 PM, NightStrike <nightstrike@gmail.com> wrote:
> If you use gnu ld or as to build GCC, you get extra features in gcc
> itself.  There's a few bugzilla PRs on this, and a lot of emails on
> the mailing list.  What I don't see, however, is how I can have
> configure detect the usage of GNU binutils automatically.  In other
> words, without explicitly passing in --with-gnu-ld/as, I don't get the
> features in question.
>
> Is there a way to do this?  Or, is there a way to fix configure so
> that it does some test without requiring the option?  Also, is there a
> way to do this for a cross compiler?

I forgot to add, does this get automatically set if you build binutils in tree?

Re: Building gcc with gnu binutils automatically

[Ian Lance Taylor]

NightStrike <nightstrike@gmail.com> writes:

> If you use gnu ld or as to build GCC, you get extra features in gcc
> itself.  There's a few bugzilla PRs on this, and a lot of emails on
> the mailing list.  What I don't see, however, is how I can have
> configure detect the usage of GNU binutils automatically.  In other
> words, without explicitly passing in --with-gnu-ld/as, I don't get the
> features in question.
>
> Is there a way to do this?  Or, is there a way to fix configure so
> that it does some test without requiring the option?  Also, is there a
> way to do this for a cross compiler?

Historically, the concern was that if person A builds the compiler and
hands it to person B, person B may have a different assembler or linker
than person A.  So we force person A to explicitly indicate whether they
are using the GNU assembler.

However, this general rule is not followed very much.  E.g., when using
the GNU tools, the configure scripts check for various features of them,
which could fail if person B has a different version of the GNU tools
installed.

So I think it would be reasonable to have the configure script set the
defualt for -with-gnu-ld/as based on the tools found at configure time.

Ian

Re: Building gcc with gnu binutils automatically

[NightStrike]

On Mon, Jun 11, 2012 at 7:47 PM, Ian Lance Taylor <iant@google.com> wrote:
> NightStrike <nightstrike@gmail.com> writes:
>
>> If you use gnu ld or as to build GCC, you get extra features in gcc
>> itself.  There's a few bugzilla PRs on this, and a lot of emails on
>> the mailing list.  What I don't see, however, is how I can have
>> configure detect the usage of GNU binutils automatically.  In other
>> words, without explicitly passing in --with-gnu-ld/as, I don't get the
>> features in question.
>>
>> Is there a way to do this?  Or, is there a way to fix configure so
>> that it does some test without requiring the option?  Also, is there a
>> way to do this for a cross compiler?
>
> Historically, the concern was that if person A builds the compiler and
> hands it to person B, person B may have a different assembler or linker
> than person A.  So we force person A to explicitly indicate whether they
> are using the GNU assembler.
>
> However, this general rule is not followed very much.  E.g., when using
> the GNU tools, the configure scripts check for various features of them,
> which could fail if person B has a different version of the GNU tools
> installed.
>
> So I think it would be reasonable to have the configure script set the
> defualt for -with-gnu-ld/as based on the tools found at configure time.

Is this something you would be willing to do?

Re: Building gcc with gnu binutils automatically

[Ian Lance Taylor]

NightStrike <nightstrike@gmail.com> writes:

> On Mon, Jun 11, 2012 at 7:47 PM, Ian Lance Taylor <iant@google.com> wrote:
>
>> So I think it would be reasonable to have the configure script set the
>> defualt for -with-gnu-ld/as based on the tools found at configure time.
>
> Is this something you would be willing to do?

Actually do the work and test it?  In principle, sure, but in practice I
don't have the time.

Ian