Toplevel bootstrap only - where are we?

Toplevel bootstrap only - where are we?

[Daniel Jacobowitz]

Paolo's recent post on gcc-patches reminded me of all the toplevel
libgcc changes I have pending.  To recap, the dependence is: if libgcc
is moved out of the top level, the "configure --disable-bootstrap; make
bootstrap" approach will no longer work.  Building without a bootstrap
will be fine, of course - either for cross compilers, or in today's
sources with "configure --disable-bootstrap; make", or in hypothetical
future sources with "configure; make" if that goes back to being a
non-bootstrap target at some point.

So, how many people are still working with old-style GCC subdirectory
bootstrap?  What blockers are there, besides retraining our fingers?

-- 
Daniel Jacobowitz
CodeSourcery

Re: Toplevel bootstrap only - where are we?

[Mark Mitchell]

Daniel Jacobowitz wrote:
> Paolo's recent post on gcc-patches reminded me of all the toplevel
> libgcc changes I have pending.  To recap, the dependence is: if libgcc
> is moved out of the top level, the "configure --disable-bootstrap; make
> bootstrap" approach will no longer work.  Building without a bootstrap
> will be fine, of course - either for cross compilers, or in today's
> sources with "configure --disable-bootstrap; make", or in hypothetical
> future sources with "configure; make" if that goes back to being a
> non-bootstrap target at some point.

This is clearly the path forward.
> So, how many people are still working with old-style GCC subdirectory
> bootstrap?  What blockers are there, besides retraining our fingers?


Moving libgcc to the top level has lots of long term benefits, as has
been discussed.  I don't think it matters that this requires us to
change our habits a little bit.  Like everyone else, I will have to
adjust the odd build script, but this is one of these infrastructure
improvements (like moving to svn) that, while somewhat disruptive, has
big payoff.  And, staying halfway in between is just confusing.

Let's make it happen.

I'll help review patches in this direction, to the extent I can do so
competently.  However, I'll of course defer to the build system
maintainers -- either on particular patches, or in general, if they
determine I'm incompetent.

-- 
Mark Mitchell
CodeSourcery
mark@codesourcery.com
(650) 331-3385 x713