[Tack-devel] ACK compiles on NetBSD-macppc, sort of...

[Gregory T. (t. K. <gt...@di...>]

Hi All,

Since ACK is BSD-licensed, seems like it'd be a good thing to have it=
 compile on a *BSD OS :-)  I have downloaded the package and made a pass at=
 getting ack-5.6 to compile on NetBSD 3.99.3 running on a PowerPC (macppc). =
 With only a couple changes to the first/get_* files, it does generate an=
 INSTALL file which appears to successfully execute.

The first change is to first/get_sys:

Index: first/get_sys
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
RCS file: /cvsroot/tack/Ack/first/get_sys,v
retrieving revision 1.5
diff -r1.5 get_sys
83a84
> ppc32         32-bit PowerPC running *BSD=20

which just adds the ppc32 option to the list of systems.  The second change=
 is to first/get_makepars to recognize that ppc32 system for word and=
 pointer sizes:

Index: first/get_makepars
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
RCS file: /cvsroot/tack/Ack/first/get_makepars,v
retrieving revision 1.9
diff -r1.9 get_makepars
3c3
< vax*|i386|sun*|sparc*|m68_sysV_0|m68020|mantra|pmds4|m68k4)
---
> ppc32|vax*|i386|sun*|sparc*|m68_sysV_0|m68020|mantra|pmds4|m68k4)

Minor stuff, and I found the process pretty easy so a tip of the hat to=
 David Given for the excellent effort.  I used BSD4_2, em44 and libbsd4_2=
 for the Unix type, target machine, and system call library, respectively.

After sh INSTALL > INSTALL.out ran for a while, everything seemed to=
 complete, although there are a lot of "FAILED" entries.  There appear to be=
 executables, however:

> ls bin/bin
6500                cp_dir              lint-lib.unix       prid
6800                do_deps             m2                  rm_deps
6805                do_resolve          m2mm                s2650
6809                em22                m68020              sparc
LLgen               em24                m68k2               sparc_solaris
abc                 em44                m68k4               sun2
acc                 esize               mantra              sun3
ack                 f2c                 march               tabgen
ack_sys             flex                minix               update_ceg
apc                 grind               minixST             vax4
arm                 i386                mk_manpage          xenix3
cc-and-mkdep.ack    i80                 ns                  yacc
cc-and-mkdep.all    i86                 ocm                 z80
cc-and-mkdep.sun    install_ceg         pdp                 z8000
cclash              lint                pmds
cid                 lint-lib.ack        pmds4

> bin/bin/ack -m
bin/bin/ack: -m needs machine name

I've posted the INSTALL.out file at

http://www.dialectronics.com/ack/INSTALL.out

I have several questions, but a bit of background for context:

I'm looking to get away from the GPL/GNU toolchain.  I find it obtuse and=
 difficult to deal with wrt to optimizations.  In particular, the PowerPC=
 code is not particularly good and stuff like Altivec is not really dealt=
 with in a decent manner.  I'm also looking into alternative operating=
 systems, such as the Minix microkernel and Dawson Engler's exokernel=
 designs.  These are leading me away from the standard toolchain.

I have some experience with Forth, which is also a stack-based virtual=
 machine, through my efforts to port OpenBSD to Old World Macs (which=
 required learning a lot about Open Firmware).  I also have some experience=
 with PowerPC hardware, enough to read and write assembly code.

1) RISC/PowerPC CPUs are anything but stack based.  There are 32 general=
 purpose registers and typical 32 floating point registers as well as 32=
 SIMD registers.  Everything is done in registers, even reading from and=
 writing to memory.  EM/ACK seem focused on x86 type approaches, in the=
 sense of gearing towards stack-based operations.  Is this going to present=
 additional obstacles to writing a back-end table for RISC/PowerPC?

2) Can the output from ACK be tweaked manually?  In other words, if the=
 back-end table gets a close first pass, is it possible to go in and tweak=
 the final version?

3) Is the PowerPC port of Minix going to use ACK?

4) Is this a bootstrap situation, where the PowerPC back-end table needs to=
 be written before PowerPC Minix can occur?

5) Are there plans to extend the object file formats ACK/LLgen are capable=
 of producing?  Would this be a good time to propose a PowerPC file format=
 alternative to a.out/xcoff?  (My personal preference would be the Motorola=
 PEF format, as opposed to ELF.)

I have more questions, but this should get the discussion rolling :-)

thanks in advance,
tim

Gregory T. (tim) Kelly
Owner
Dialectronics.com

P.O. Box 606
Newberry, SC 29108

"Anything war can do, peace can do better."  -- Bishop Desmond Tutu