Subject: Re: ns32k toolchain
To: Ian Dall <ian@beware.dropbear.id.au>
From: Simon Burge <simonb@wasabisystems.com>
List: port-pc532
Date: 08/03/2002 14:49:52
On Sat, Aug 03, 2002 at 01:07:24AM +0930, Ian Dall wrote:

> 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.

I wonder how this compares with the genericish softfloat code we have
already.  I know there's a couple of ports that use this library at the
userland level (powerpc, arm, sh3 I think), but I'm not sure if any
ports use it for kernel FP emulation yet.

We have FP emulation for pc532's that don't have an FPU?

> 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.

Very cool.  I'll echo Jon's question - which gcc branches got the
updates?  I'll assume that gcc 2.9x hasn't :-)

> 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.

Thanks again Ian!

Simon.
--
Simon Burge                                   <simonb@wasabisystems.com>
NetBSD Development, Support and Service:   http://www.wasabisystems.com/