Subject: ns32k toolchain
To: None <port-pc532@netbsd.org>
From: Ian Dall <ian@beware.dropbear.id.au>
List: port-pc532
Date: 08/03/2002 01:07:24
This is a heads up for anyone interested in the status of ns32k
toolchain development.

I have had patches accepted for GNU gcc and binutils.  I also have an
updated fp emulation library for the kernel. It didn't used to do
rounding properly on denormalized numbers or provide a way for gcc to
do the right thing on unordered comparisons (with NaN). These
deficiencies were causing failures in the gcc testsuite.

With these changes the gcc testsuite runs almost correctly. The
remaining errors do not cause incorrect code (they are things like
spurious warnings, missing debugging info with certain optimization
levels etc). There are a couple of internal compiler errors (ICEs) but
they only happen with obscure cases (specifying vector attributes for
variables, -fssa options).  The -fomit-frame-pointer errors have all
gone.

There are some additional developments I have in mind, but they are to
cause better code generation, not to correct bugs. So I feel like this
is some kind of milestone.

The binutils changes where mostly just to quieten gcc warnings, but at
least one real bug was fixed, which was causing incorrect assembly of
code in some circumstances. I am not sure if this bug is in our
traditional assembler, but if anyone is working on gas or binutils
(like to add pic support or elf support) then it would be good to work
off the current fixed code.

I will submit the kernel emulation library soon.

Ian