Re: Host requirements to build the Tools binaries

At Tue, 10 Sep 2024 12:32:45 +1200, Lloyd Parkes <[email protected]> wrote:
Subject: Re: Host requirements to build the Tools binaries
>
> On Mon, 2024-09-02 at 10:42 -0700, Greg A. Woods wrote:
> >
> > I don't mean to be harsh, but I really can't even begin to understand
> > why anyone would object to or balk at using the appropriate "-std="
> > for
> > all code,
>
> I just have a reflex to try and fix any underlying bugs if that will
> improve the code in an ongoing basis. Things like code not working
> right on LP64 systems because everything used to be 32 bit. It's just a
> daemon/angel that sits on my shoulder whispering to me when I see
> compiler warnings.

I agree fully that fixing code "we own" is a very good idea.

It doesn't mean though that the build should be done without the
appropriate "-std=" option.  Perhaps one can go from, say, gnu90 to c99
with appropriate fixes, but the code should still be kept to a version
old enough that it can be built with a reasonably old vendor compiler
(including the oldest supported NetBSD release at the time, or even one
prior).

However for third-party tools I don't see any point to fixing the code,
or making any changes whatsoever to it unless absolutely necessary (the
problem is plainly a real bug, not just something showing up because of
some new-fangled warning), and/or one can be certain that upstream will
accept the changes back (if indeed they are even relevant to a current
upstream release).  For third-party code the best situation is if a
newer version already fixes the bugs, in which case we just upgrade to
it as soon as possible (though with tools that can get tricky!).

Of course third-party code will also still be written to some language
level and that should be expressed by an appropriate "-std=" option and
we should add such an option to the tools build if it isn't there
already.


--
					Greg A. Woods <[email protected]>

Kelowna, BC     +1 250 762-7675           RoboHack <[email protected]>
Planix, Inc. <[email protected]>     Avoncote Farms <[email protected]>

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