Messages in this thread |  | | | Date | Sun, 23 Aug 1998 13:10:21 -0700 | | From | "David S. Miller" <> | | Subject | Re: pre egcs-1.1 testing and Linux 2.1.x |
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Date: Sun, 23 Aug 1998 12:52:30 -0700 (PDT) From: Linus Torvalds <torvalds@transmeta.com>
NOBODY said "we don't recommend using the feature, because we know it has problems but we hope to fix them" Jeff said precisely this pinhead, you must have missed it. Since you have, let me quote him:
------------------------------------------------------------ No code using regparm is safe. Again, you might get away with it for a while, but in the end, it's going to generate incorrect code. And (of course) the places where incorrect code is generated will vary from one version of the compiler to the next due to subtle differences in the generated code. I strongly recommend against using regparm until such time as someone can rewrite reload to deal with machines with small register classes like the x86. ------------------------------------------------------------ Translates to me info: "We don't recommend using this feature"
Furthermore a long discussion has been happening on the egcs list about how to begin tackling this problem, yet at the same time acknowledging the fact that it is a long term job.
Instead, people said "we're going to make the problem go away by hiding the feature".
Nobody has said this, instead they have said that it should be turned off by default for everyone, for the purposes of ensuring (in all cases, and with a change that is simple to verify right now) people don't get incorrect code-gen until we fix it. Everyone has expressed the full intention of fixing the problem.
And THAT in turn means that we can't compile the kernel with such a compiler.
No, it means nobody who uses regparm will get them. In this view, the fact that the kernel depends upon it is a moot point. Don't use the fact that Linux happens to depend upon it now as a way to force your wishes on the egcs team (Linux needs it, don't disable it dammit), that's impolite.
Later, David S. Miller davem@dm.cobaltmicro.com
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