native compilation, was Re: eglibc done, too

[Finn Thain <fthain@telegraphics.com.au>]

On Sat, 23 Oct 2010, Thorsten Glaser wrote:

> ...they want to stop using [cross-compilers] after the architecture has
> been bootstrapped. I *think* they have been bitten by bugs.

It isn't really about bugs. They can be fixed.

Native compilation allows a port to claim "self-hosting" status. Which is
still theoretically interesting. But when I think about it, the reasons
for this attitude are probably historical.

Back when owning just one machine was expensive, cross-compilation was
impossible for an end user and the vendor compiler was unaffordable, to
have a free native compiler was a sine qua non of hacking, open source,
free software etc.

The native compiler meant everything. And probably it still does (for
socio-economic reasons) in some parts of the world.

Finn