On Tue, Jun 29, 2010 at 1:53 AM, Kevin Bowling <kevin.bowl...@kev009.com> wrote: > In the GCC 4.5 announcement: > > "Support for the classic POWER architecture implemented in the > original RIOS and RIOS2 processors of the old IBM RS/6000 product line > has been obsoleted in the rs6000 port. This does not affect the new > generation Power and PowerPC architectures." > > What needs to be done to keep this code alive? It seems fairly light > weight. I can provide remote access to AIX POWER2 hardware if needed.
Why should this code be maintained? Andrew Haley's well-intentioned comments are completely off the mark. Linux does not run on POWER1 or POWER2 hardware. Recent versions of AIX do not run on it. The hardware no longer is supported by IBM. Even if GCC can build and run on such a system, support for the original POWER ISA complicates the rs6000 port. While the support is fairly mechanical, it is large and bulky. Because of some other improvements the maintainers of the rs6000 port wish to make, we plan to remove classic POWER support to simplify the implementation of the new features. If there is a user community relying on modern versions of GCC for use on those systems, I would reconsider. One person saying he has access to an AIX POWER2 system and retaining the support seems like a cool idea is not a reason to devote the resources. GCC's mission is not to support every system in a computer history museum. Older versions of GCC created at the time of those systems still will work on those systems. Thanks, David
