Re: C compiler (over-)optimization

Den 2026-05-29 kl. 23:27, skrev Greg A. Woods:
> At Fri, 29 May 2026 14:21:18 -0400 (EDT), Mouse <[email protected]> wrote:
> So what you're basically asking for is more or less what Edgar proposed:
> A new systems programming language (that is effectively a variant of
> "Standard C") -- and one that forbids being initially implemented as a
> front-end for either GCC or LLVM where too much happens under the hood
> (i.e. in the backend, including LTO).
> 
This is all depending on which approach you have.

A looong time ago I was talking to some people from HP about their 
system compiler in HPUX, since IIRC there was one system C compiler and 
another Ansi C compiler.
They stated that it was a strategic decision to use the old stable 
compiler for the system itself to really avoid surprises, since the 
system itself is not that performance sensitive.
Then HP was able to use a compiler with all fancy new features and 
optimizations without breaking anything else.

So, there are prior art to having a special system compiler.

-- R