On Thu, 6 Mar 1997 21:16:51 -0500,
Rolf Braun <rbraun@geocities.com> wrote:
> I was looking at some old files on ftp.macbsd.com and noticed that it used
> to be possible to build a distribution without FPU instructions.

Unfortunately, no, it has never been possible to build a distribution
completely without any FP instructions.

> This was from over 2 years ago when FPE was totally broken.

This isn't correct.  It was from 2 years ago, but that was just after
the first (somewhat) working FPE was introduced.  The libm-nomc68881
file you found was intended to be used in conjunction with FPE, not
to replace FPE or make FPE unnecessary.

> My question is this:
> Could this still be done to build a distribution for LC040 users? Could the
> binaries somehow be recompiled and linked with the non-FPU math library?

Unless you compile everything with -msoft-float, it would still
execute *some* FP instructions which would then cause the same "random
segfaults".  I personally wouldn't hold my breath until someone built
a complete -msoft-float distribution...

Ken

P.S. I've got around to take a closer look at my LC630 (which has an
LC040) running a custom kernel (which would drop at the debugger
whenever the processor attempted to execute an FP instruction).  I
think the problem is a little more complicated than I and a few others
thought it would be, but I'm expecting to collect more information on
the problem in this couple of weeks.  Stay tuned.