Subject: Re: ANSI vs. K&R
To: Greg Hudson <ghudson@MIT.EDU>
From: Michael Graff <explorer@flame.org>
List: tech-misc
Date: 03/12/1999 13:03:35
Greg Hudson <ghudson@MIT.EDU> writes:

> > I don't see any remaining benefit in keeping code "compatible" with
> > old compilers.
> 
> I will note that one of the arguments in favor of retaining
> compatibility with non-ANSI C compilers will pretty much never go away
> with time: NetBSD likes to support "retrocomputing," and bootstrapping
> a port on an old platform can be simpler if you can compile most of
> the code with an old compiler.

I'd suspect the steps are more like:

	(1) compile a cross-gcc port.

	(2) build kernel.

We support any retrocomputing gcc does.  That's fine with me.  I
thought it was wrong that we haven't allowed all these "new" features
like prototypes, etc.  Especially considering every project (bind9
included) has stated that ANSI is in, prototypes are in.

--Michael