Re: kernel 2.4.x (what compiler?)

[Rick Macdonald <rickmacd@home.com>]

Something that seems odd:

Documentation/Changes says to use gcc-2.91.66 but this old version isn't
available as a Debian package!

Quote:
			  
Kernel compilation
==================

GCC
---

The gcc version requirements may vary depending on the type of CPU in your
computer. The next paragraph applies to users of x86 CPUs, but not
necessarily to users of other CPUs. Users of other CPUs should obtain
information about their gcc version requirements from another source.

The recommended compiler for the kernel is egcs 1.1.2 (gcc 2.91.66), and
it should be used when you need absolute stability. You may use gcc 2.95.x
instead if you wish, although it may cause problems. Later versions of gcc
have not received much testing for Linux kernel compilation, and there are
almost certainly bugs (mainly, but not exclusively, in the kernel) that
will need to be fixed in order to use these compilers. In any case, using
pgcc instead of egcs or plain gcc is just asking for trouble.

Note that gcc 2.7.2.3 is no longer a supported kernel compiler. The kernel
no longer works around bugs in gcc 2.7.2.3 and, in fact, will refuse to
be compiled with it.

In addition, please pay attention to compiler optimization.  Anything
greater than -O2 may not be wise.  Similarly, if you choose to use
gcc-2.95.x or derivatives, be sure not to use -fstrict-aliasing (which,
depending on your version of gcc 2.95.x, may necessitate using
-fno-strict-aliasing).


...RickM...