Machine-independent object files (Re: Is it possible to simply copy the kernel from one machine to another and use it?)

[hendrik@topoi.pooq.com]

On Sat, Apr 08, 2006 at 12:33:20AM +0200, Joris Huizer wrote:
> >
> 
> It'd be *really* cool if linux & gcc/as somehow manage to produce code 
> that is meaningfull on different architectures ;-)
> <I think writing such code would be a total nightmare>
> 
> regards,
> 
> Joris
> 

The basic technique would probably involve putting the last stages of 
the gnu compiler suite into the binary loader, so it generates the code 
at load time.  Indications (see the "slim binaries" article in CACM from 
maybe five of so yers back, where they do domething similar with Oberon) 
are that with suitable intermediate code, it can be a significant win in 
some circumstances -- less object code cluttering up the file system, 
and the code generation can be done while waiting for the loader's I/O 
operations to complete.

If course if your CPU is already busy it's not so much of a win.

-- hendrik