Date: Tue, 12 Nov 2002 16:39:33 -0500
From: 2boxers <2boxers AT comcast DOT net>
Subject: Re: djcrx203.zip refresh (June 2002)
To: djgpp-workers AT delorie DOT com
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References: <10211121726 DOT AA21633 AT clio DOT rice DOT edu>
Reply-To: djgpp-workers AT delorie DOT com

I am pleased so say that I just successfully built the djgpp cross compiler
for the linux host.

So far I managed to get it built using:
patched sources from gcc32s2, djcrx203.zip, djdev203_u2.zip, and
binutils-2.13.1.
patched soruces from gcc32s2, djcrx204_alpha.zip, and binutils-2.13.1.

I built the xgcc-3.2 with a native gcc-2.95.3 compiler and will shortly test
the build process again by building with a native gcc-3.2 compiler.

C++ executables compiled from linux now work in Win32 and in DOS.  No
extensive testing has been done, but I did compile some of my cpp programs
which use the STL, some of my classes, templates, and functions and they
compiled and ran under DOS and Win32 as expected! :)

Thank you DJ, Andris, Charles, Andrew, and everybody that helped me.
I am truly excited about this.

> > Well, the refresh it is definitely a step in the right direction.  I
know of
> > at least two different build errors corrected when building the linux
host
> > cross compiler against the official gcc releases.
>
> The changes in djcrx203 refresh are the ones required to get GCC 3.x to
> build on the native environment.  I don't currently have a system to
> test cross compiling with, so I can't comment on the updates required
> for the documentation.

From my observations in doing the cross compiler build, both djcrx203
refresh and the patched gnu sources from gcc32s2.zip or gcc32s.zip are
required to do the GCC 3.x build successfully.

With regards to the readme and readme.1st found in "djcrx203 DJGPP V2
Cross-to-DOS Compiler Support Files (from djlsr/djdev)", 'use' of the cross
compiler is sufficiently described as well as the proper method for
unzipping the package itself. however, I am not seeing any documentation in
this package that details how to actually build the 'Cross-to-DOS Compiler'.

I am not certain if it even makes sense to include detailed information on
how to build the 'Cross-to-DOS Compiler' in the djcrx203 package, but
rather, it seems to make sense just to point to updated HOWTO and TECH
BULLETIN style information on the website from which the documents inside
djcrx203 can refer. IMO, this way there can be more dynamic reflection of
any future changes to the build process.

http://www.delorie.com/djgpp/ does a really good job at pointing the user to
all of the right kinds of resources.  IMO it just needs to be updated
somewhat to reflect the changes that GCC 3.x has brought about.

On the other hand, gcc32s2.zip does in fact describe the 'Cross-to-DOS
Compiler' build process in terms of using the scripts to unpackage,
configure, and build the cross compiler.
A couple questions about this.  Keep in mind while I am not new to linux and
the concept of open source development, or even GCC itself, I am very new to
the DJGPP target.

Are the the patches and separate source tree for gcc-3.2 being maintained
just for the interim period prior to submitting the patches to the gcc and
libstdc++ maintainers?  I ask this assuming that at some point in the
future, it will be possible to download a release of gcc from gnu.org and be
able to build the linux host crosscompiler for the djgpp target and have it
work.  I am not aware of the politics involved, if there are any, but it
would seem to me that the DJGPP target is an asset to the gcc and libstdc++
projects such that inclusion of these patches would be beneficial to
everybody.

> The "current" refresh (June 2002) has been delayed from Simtel release
> due to lack of time, etc.  Five months for a few files...
>
> The question in my mind:
>
>  1) Since the new one's an improvement, do we put it up immediately, or
>  2) Wait for some documentation fixes, put them in CVS (as 2_03_1 and
head)
>     re-cut the distribution, then release?


The way I found out about the existence of the refresh was via the
newsgroup. This was not an immediate process, so I struggled somewhat before
I found out about it.

I can only speak for myself on this, but since the refresh has improvements
that mean the difference between a successful build and a failed build, IMO,
I say put it up immediately with a text file simply stating what the package
is for.  I base this on the principle that the building process that the
package fixes with regards to GCC 3.x from the Linux host, isn't even
detailed in any of the documentation in the package itself, so why hold up
the release for documentation fixes?

Like many newcomers to DJGPP:
I found out about DJGPP by reading the documentation from gcc.gnu.org. From
there I was pointed to www.delorie.com.  From there I used the zip picker,
read the faq, looked over the howto's.  Perhaps the refresh can be mentioned
in the cgi page under "Use Unix to build DOS programs as well as in the
updated HOWTO.

I hope to have a link to a revised version of DJ's "Step-by-step
instructions for setting up a djgpp cross compiler on your linux machine"
posted to this list later today.
The page will be an HTML document revised version of DJ's HOWTO which will
cover the step by step proccess for successfully building the Linux host
gcc-3.2 cross compiler for the DJGPP target.

> Given the relatively small number of people who have tried this ;-P
> I'm not sure it makes a big difference either way.

Agreed, but for those few that did try it, I am sure it made a difference
for them. :)

Cheers!
Charles