Re: PA64 configure issues

[Jeffrey A Law <law at cygnus dot com>]

  In message <200004251814.OAA28140@mal-ach.watson.ibm.com>you write:
  > 	Geoff gave the background on 64-bit AIX support which can support
  > both modes with a single toolchain, defaulting to 32-bit mode.  This also
  > happens to be the way that the AIX product compilers operate, so the two
  > are consistent.
Good.

  > 	The above line in your original message jumps out at me.  Are you
  > saying that you must build an entirely separate compiler for PA64?  Also,
  > you did not mention how HP's commercial toolchain operates/defaults.
Yes, we have to build a separate toolchain.  Among other things PA32 and PA64
use completely different object file formats (SOM & ELF respectively) one
supports gnu-ld (PA64) the other will never support gnu-ld (PA32).  There's
other issues, but those are the two biggest.

HP's tools work by having a front-end which invisibly fires up the appropriate
32bit or 64bit tool based on runtime flags.  

  > 	I would agree that defaulting to 32-bit mode, even on 64-bit
  > hardware, is the best choice when the hardware can support both modes. 
OK.

  > If
  > the user needs to configure and build a completely separate toolchain for
  > 64-bit mode, that is much more cumbersome than the AIX toolchain.
Yup.  And that's the root of the problem I'm trying to resolve.

  > If HP's
  > toolchain defaults differently, I think that you need to consider
  > user-interface compatibility as well.
I don't think we're going to have that kind of compatibility.  At least not
at this stage.


jeff