(FAQ candidate) Summary: GCC vs SunPro cc
2007-12-25 8:17:00
I asked the net:
>I would like to know if GCC can be used to develop software on Solaris
>2.x platform. (i.e. SunOS 5.x).
>
>Specifically, can we develop softare WITHOUT buying SunPRO C compiler
>(and debugger)? Will GCC compiled for Solaris 2.x (and its linker,
>etc.) will suffice? Will the Solaris 2.x come with necessary header
[ omission ]
Since I received many answers and were urged to post the summary, here
is my summary. Apparently, there are more programmers who are
pondering this question every day they are forced to moved onto
hardware platform that doesn't come with a C compiler.
Please feel free to redistribute. And thanks to those who helped me in
obtaining the information.
If there are crucial errors or omissions, please let me know.
========================================
FAQ Candidate: GCC and Solaris 2.x (SunOS 5.x).
---*-text-*---
$Id: gcc.solaris.summary,v 1.2 1993/05/28 13:45:10 ishikawa Exp ishikawa $
Question: I would like to know if GCC and GDB can be used to develop
software on Solaris 2.x platform. (i.e. SunOS 5.x).
Answer: Resounding YES.
Details follow.
[Assembler and Linker]
Q: Aside from the question of bootstrapping the compiler (answered in
the following), do we need linker and assembler separately?
A: Good news. You don't have to build GNU assembler and linker. Sun
Solaris 2.x comes with its own assembler and linker, and GCC uses
them. These will be found in /usr/ccs/bin. (However, you may need to
install them from the Solaris CD if you have not installed them when
the OS was installed.)
[Libraries]
Q: Does the Solaris 2.x come with necessary header files and libraries
wihtout buying the SunPRO C compiler?
A: Yes. Necessary libraries and header files come with Solaris. (GCC
also have its own libraries that you may need to link GCC produced
objects.)
[Debugger]
Q: For debugging, does GDB work on Solaris 2?
A: Yes, it does. GDB works fine on Solaris 2. You can use xxgdb (with
X11 GUI) or use Emacs as front end for better human-machine interface
instead of using it directly from shell.
[Other tools]
Q: Ok, how about make, yacc, lex, and others?
A: Solaris 2.x come with make, yacc, and even lex.
However, you may want to get GNU versions of these tools such as
gmake, bison and flex once you get the compiler going since gnu
versions have extended capability.
On the other hand, SunPro products offer a neat tool for analyzing
virtual memory usage as well as source browser, call graphers, and
such. You get what you pay for, I suppose.
[ Boostrapping and where to obtain GCC ]
Q: How do I bootstrap GCC without having a C compiler to start with?
A: Don't worry. There are precompiled version of GCC availabe from
some sources. You can obtain them from the following sources. Once
you have the compiler running, you can compile the future versions of
GCC sources when you feel like it.
[FTP]
Binary copy of gcc-for-solaris-2 is on ftp.uu.net under /vendor/cygnus
directory. (This is an old version from last summer) The sources are
next to the binaries:
-rw-r--r-- 1 167 archive 28258 Jul 15 1992 INSTALL
-rw-r--r-- 1 167 archive 12697 Jul 16 1992 README
-rw-r--r-- 1 167 archive 5851617 Jul 16 1992 cygnus-sol2-1.0.bin.tar.Z
-rw-r--r-- 1 167 archive 10573106 Jul 16 1992 cygnus-sol2-1.0.src.tar.Z
You can use this to compile the latest GCC sources to obtain the
latest version.
[Since my site doesn't talk to Internet directly, I don't know
much about other sites. My site is hooked with UUNET via
telephone UUCP. See annoucements in gnu.announce, etc.. ]
[CDROM]
There are a few CD sources that have compiled binary of GCC.
1. Catalyst CDware disc, Volume 4.
This contains GNU C sources and binaries for Solaris 2 couresy of
Sun and Cygnus Support. This is the same version you find on
ftp.uu.net. The upcoming Volume 5 disc contains newer binaries and
sources for GNU C and C++, for both SunOS 4.x and Solaris 2.x. A
CDware disc comes with each Sun Workstation, and is also available for
free, by calling your local Sun sales office. [CI comment: Sun Offices
in each country may have diffrent policy regarding the distribution of
CDware disks. I am not sure if we can get them in Japan, for example.]
Contact your local Sun dealer for more info.
2. The Prime Time Freeware CD-ROM.
The Prime Time Freeware CD-ROM has a copy of last December's Cygnus
release for Solaris-2. (The current release from Cygnus is from March
'93, with a new update coming in June '93.) This CD-ROM is available
for US$60 plus shipping (USA $5, world $10). (No email orders.)
Prime Time Freeware 370 Altair Way, Suite 150 Tel: +1 408 738 4832
ptf@cfcl.com Sunnyvale, CA 94086 USA Fax: +1 408 432 6149
3. Upcoming FSF CD.
The Free Software Foundation `Experimental Tape' contains binaries of
GCC for Solaris-2. It's available for $210 on a QIC-24 cartridge, or
$205 on Exabyte. Prices and contents may change after June '93. (no
email orders). The contents of this and other tapes will be in the
upcoming FSF CD (in June). It will have Sparc binaries.
Free Software Foundation
675 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
+1 617 876 3296
[=== Support ===]
Q: My management is picky about `free' software. What do I do with
bug reporting, obtaining fix, etc.?
A: As you may know, network seems to be capable of supporting complex
software product such as GCC so far very well. I personally have
received a patch to a problem for MC68K compiler code generation in
less than 48 hours when I reported it to proper newsgroup!.
However, if you really need good support, you may want to hire a
consultant from the list in etc/SERVICE file in Emacs distribution, or
contact Cygnus who provided the binaries for Catalyst CDROM and for
uu.net ftp.
Cygnus Support sells support for GNU C on Solaris 2 (along with GDB
and other tools like gprof). Support for two users for a year costs
US$1400 ($500/each for additional users). This support comes with
printed documentation, easy installation from tape, quarterly update
releases, and bug fixes as needed. Easy email bug reporting software
(send-pr) is included. GNU C++ support is also available at higher
cost.
Cygnus Support
1937 Landings Drive
Mountain View, CA 94043
USA
+1 415 903 1400 switchboard
+1 415 903 0122 fax
Feel free to use this as a progenitor (sp?) of a question in FAQ list.
Chiaki Ishikawa, Personal Media Corp., MY Bldg, 1-7-7 Hiratsuka,
Shinagawa, Tokyo 142, JAPAN. FAX:+81-3-5702-0359, Phone:+81-3-5702-0351
UUNET: ishikawa@personal-media.co.jp
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