Re: One more oddity with gcc and vax floats...

On 2026-06-13 14:06, Dave McGuire wrote:
> On 6/13/26 06:55, Johnny Billquist wrote:
>>> We had 128 bit floats on a VAX, so I'm sure somebody running funny=20
>>> things on it :)
>>
>> 40 years ago, sure... Today? I doubt it.
>=20
>  =C2=A0 That's a popular assumption, but I just took a contract to main=
tain=20
> several Modcomp systems (1978) that are running in production at a=20
> company, and have just been approached about two more. (apparently the=20
> word has spread that there's someone who can work on those machines who=
=20
> isn't 80..)
>=20
>  =C2=A0 At least this installation IS using their EAU boards.. ;)
>=20
>  =C2=A0 Ancient hardware doing real work is shockingly common.=C2=A0 It=
's just not=20
> popular to talk about.

You are misinterpreting my answer.
I still sometimes help out on PDP-11 systems out there in the field.=20
Yes, there are plenty still running.

But here we're talking about a specific kind of usage and application,=20
which is high precision math. Anyone into that is almost certainly also=20
into high performance computing. These kind of systems and applications=20
are not running on 40 year old platforms. No matter the fact that VAX=20
have 128 bit FP. IEEE FP have 256 bit format. So not only does IEEE=20
formats allow for larger ranges and higher precision, but it also does=20
it on hardware that runs way faster than any VAX. Anyone interested in=20
either very high precision, or very high speed math is not on a VAX=20
anymore, and haven't been for a long time.

There are certainly other fields and types of application where the age=20
of the hardware matters very little. But where tested, reliable and cost=20
matter more, and where it makes sense to continue with what already=20
works, and does the work as well as it could ever be done.

   Johnny

--=20
Johnny Billquist                  || "I'm on a bus
                                   ||  on a psychedelic trip
email: [email protected]             ||  Reading murder books
pdp is alive!                     ||  tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol