Re: Re[6]: [MinGW-dvlpr] Betas of binutils

[Paul G. <pga...@te...>]

Hi folks,

On 6 Dec 2000, at 12:04, the Illustrious Paul Sokolovsky wrote:

> Hello Paul,
> 
> Paul Garceau wrote on Tuesday, December 05, 2000:
> 
> 
> 
> PG> On 5 Dec 2000, at 2:13, the Illustrious Paul Sokolovsky
> wrote:
> 
> >> Hello Danny,
> >>
> >> Danny Smith wrote on Tuesday, December 05, 2000:
> >>
> >>
> >> DS> Thanks for the clarification. I will do some more testing
> >> with c++, DS> excluding libstdc++ from auto-import.  Could
> >> --exclude-libs= be an DS> explicit command line option?
> >>
> >>     If you will add it ;-)
> >>
> >> DS> Of course, if libstdc++ was dll that would solve a lot of
> >> problems.
> >>
> >>     That's exactly what I wanted to ask - I have an idea to
> >>     provide
> >> both static and dynamic libstdc++ with gcc. This will mean
> >> dunamic will be selected by default (unless linked with
> >> --static). Any comments?
> 
> PG>         Hmm...if you're talking about modifying gcc/g++
> default setting PG> to dynamic, I disagree.

	allow me to rephrase:

		if you're talking about modifying ld default linking to always 
link a .dll as the default lib type, I disagree.

	ld, unless otherwise informed, will always assume static libs 
are being linked.  It also assumes that any thing with the 
switch -l in the command line (again unless otherwise informed) 
is to be found in the lib/ directory and has a postfix of ".a" 
(static lib) and a prefix of "lib".

	As an example:

	When -lmoldname is invoked on the command line:

	gcc foo.c -ofoo.exe -lmoldname

	ld makes the following assumptions:

	A) "look for a file called "libmoldname.a" in the default lib/ 
directory.

	B) If "libmoldname.a" is found then 

	B.1) "link this file" into foo.exe
(else)
	B.2) if "libmoldname.a" is not found then 
		B.3) generate an exception stating that there is nothing 
called "libmoldname.a" in the default /lib directory and exit 
linking phase accordingly.

--- end of linking process

	The above process is what defines "default" linking for "ld".

	Changing this default linking to use .dlls instead of static 
(.a) libs is, imho, a mistake.  One that can only be compounded 
given the most recent release of Xfree86(v4); a release which 
requires DirectX to generate X-Windows graphics output.

	Xfree86 has already been implemented and tested for Linux under 
Cygwin (-mno-cygwin not set), and it is not very long now before 
people will want to use Xfree86 while having the -mno-cygwin 
switch set.


	Peace,

		Paul G.


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    Nothing unreal exists.