>Just out of curiosity, what object file format are you currently
>using?
>
>                               _MelloN_


I'm using NetBSD native a.out -- that is, a.out with a byteswapped
magic number.

I'm using gcc-2.5.8 bashed on to prepend underscores and provide
the appropriate predefined preprocessor macros. This is a native
NetBSD binary.   I'm using the ar, ranlib, lorder, tsort, and nm
from the NetBSD source tree -- the ``REAL'' native  tools.

I'm using an as and ld from GNU binutils-2.5.2 with a simple NetBSD
configuration I wrote myself one evening. The official ``native''
assemble is based on an old, old, old gas release. I have had awful
experiences with gas 1-9x in the past, and I have declined to put my
time into getting that to work.  I'd *like* to use gcc-2.6.x and
binutils-2.5.2 together.  However that combination DOES NOT WORK for
a.out on mips machines -- gcc generates GP-relative .lit8 references
that gas cannot relocate.  I've reported this as a bug and don't
expect it to be fixed anytime soon.

Nevertheless, I've been building nearly complete user-level NetBSD
toolsets -- native binaries built from the NetBSD-Current sources--
for _months_. (I haven't bothered building src/usr.gnu, since I already
have Ultrix-binary versions of what's in there which so far
have worked fine for me. Or indeed, better, in the case of gawk --
I still don't know why).

--Jonathan