ftp.uni-stuttgart.de/pub/systems/acorn//Acorn.tar/Acorn/acornet/dev/c/gcc/gcc-faq.txt

Text File | 1995-10-23 | 10KB | 324 lines

RiscOS-GCC FAQ
==============

Last updated: 21.9.95, Jochen Scharrlach ([e-mail])

Posting: irregularly, every time when there are major changes. I am not
         sure where to put this FAQ at the moment, but I'll make it
         available via:
         http://www.uni-stuttgart.de/Archive/acorn/

The following FAQ does not try to explain internals of GNU-C nor does it
provide a C/C++ tutorial. It only tries to explain how to handle the Acorn
port of GNU C/C++. It is not a classic selection of questions and answers,
it's more like a brief manual. Unless you are an experienced Acorn-GCC
programmer, this document might be very helpful.

Disclaimer: Acorn, FSF or the GCC porters are not responsible for this FAQ.
  Be aware that this FAQ wasn't written by one almighty guru, there were
  several people helping me.

The FAQ is for GNU-C version 2.4.5/R2.2. If you have an older version try
to get this one, if you have a newer version please tell me where I can get
it from...

Please help me on stuff marked with "(?)". If you find any mistakes (even
grammar or spelling mistakes) or have any updates or suggestions, drop me
an email.

Contents
--------

1. Availability
 1.1 FTP
 1.2 CD-ROM
 1.3 other
2. Installation
3. Libraries
 3.1 C++
 3.2 UnixLib
 3.3 gststubs
 3.4 DeskLib
 3.5 OSLib
4. Using GCC
 4.1 Memory requirements
  4.1.1 Archimedes
  4.1.2 RiscPC
 4.2 Directories
 4.3 Filename translation
 4.4 Commandline options
 4.5 Compiling C++-sources
 4.6 Using <varargs.h>
5. Related Information
 5.1 GCC documentation
 5.2 Other FAQs
 5.3 Interactive help
 5.4 Books
  5.4.1 C
  5.4.2 C++
  5.4.3 Object-Oriented Analysis and Design

***************************

---------------
1. Availability
---------------

 1.1 FTP

  * ftp://ftp.demon.co.uk/pub/archimedes/gnu/gcc/*
  * ftp://ftp.uni-stuttgart.de/pub/systems/acorn/riscos/lang/c/gcc/*
  * ftp://micros.hensa.ac.uk/micros/arch/riscos/b/b013/*

 1.2 CD-ROM

  * Acorn User CD
  * The Risc Disc Vol. 1 (Uniqueway, RPCD 1)

 1.3 other

  * C Acorn User Group's software library sends gcc free-of-charge to
    anyone who sends them 3 formatted discs (or 2 HD discs) and return
    postage. (see "Related information")

(?) - anything else?

---------------
2. Installation
---------------

  You will find three archives which you'll have to unpack into the same
  directory. Additionally you'll need a linker, e.g. DRLink. Install it into
  a directory that is listed in Run$Path, e.g. !GCC.bin. Additionally you'll
  have to set in !GCC.!Boot:

   Set GCC$Linker  DRLink

------------
3. Libraries
------------

  The easiest way to use a C-library is to put the path into GCC$Path.
  The path must point to the location where the subdirectories "o"
  (contains the library itself) and "h" (contains the include files) reside.
  C++-libraries have to be listed in GPP$Path. The other method would be to
  tell gcc where to find the headers with -I<path> and the library with
  -L<path>.

 3.1 C++

  If you want to compile C++-programs you'll also need the C++-library,
  you should be able to get it where you found gcc. To use it, GPP$Path has
  to point to the location you installed the lib. The C++ library supplied
  with GCC 2.4.5 is mainly the iostream library.

 3.2 UnixLib

  UnixLib 3.6e works with gcc, it's a bit the standard library. It
  provides Unix-style headers which seem to work with gststubs (see
  below), but you may run into trouble with it.

 3.3 gststubs

  This one is a PD-replacement for Acorn's stubs. It's much smaller than
  UnixLib, because it uses the SharedCLib, though it comes with no
  header files. If you don't have the Acorn-C headers you'll have to try
  it with UnixLib's headers, but it is not guaranteed that this will work
  correctly.

 3.4 DeskLib

  Official versions above 2.16 should work fine with gcc. DeskLib provides
  many WIMP- and other RiscOS-specific commands, but you'll need to link
  with (gst)stubs (try -mstubs). GCC is not able to recompile DeskLib.

 3.5 OSLib

  Acorn's unofficial PD library. Should work with gcc, but it also needs
  (gst)stubs. There are known problems when using C++ (OSLib uses C++
  keywords) and you may need to use the "-ansi"-option.

------------
4. Using GCC
------------

 4.1 Memory requirements

  GCC needs 3.5-8MB to compile C-programs (more than 4MB for C++-progs),
  so it is very hard to use it on a 4MB machine without "tricks":

  4.1.1 Archimedes

  You can use !Virtual (current version 0.37), which gives you up to 24MB
  of "virtual memory", i.e. your harddisc will be used to simulate this.
  You still need at least 1.5MB of real memory, otherwise compiling will
  take ages!

  4.1.2 RiscPC

  !Virtual doesn't work on a RiscPC, so you'll need to get enough RAM, i.e.
  about 6-12MB, though I know of an attempt to implement some kind of VM on
  the RiscPC.

  Future ports of GCC *may* contain VM for both RiscPC and Archimedes.

 4.2 Directories

  Because RiscOS doesn't use file extenders, the files are stored in
  different subdirectories:

  * c    C-sourcecode
  * cc   C++-sourcecode (the way it was supposed to be)
  * c++  C++-sourcecode (the way Acorn wanted it to be...)
  * s    Assembler-source
  * o    object files
  * h    header files

 4.3 Filename translation

  GCC was originally developed for Unix-systems, so GCC expects Unix-style
  filenames. These filenames will be translated, so they match RiscOS-files.
  If you want to compile the file dir.c.myprog, you can either say:
    gcc dir.c.myprog
  or:
    gcc dir/myprog.c

  You should use the Unix-format.

 4.4 Commandline options

  I don't want to list all possible options, there are sh**loads of them.
  The most important are:

  * -o <file>
   redirect the output into <file>.
  * -c
   stop after compiling, i.e. no linking.
  * -E
   stop after preprocessing. If you don't specify an output file, the
   output will be sent to stdout.
  * -S
   stop before assembling, i.e. generates Assembler-output.
  * -I<path>
   specify an additional path to search for include files.
  * -L<path>
   specify an additional path to search for libraries.
  * -l<lib>
   link with the library <lib>. You don't need to specify the path if
   you either do this with the "-L"-option or specify it in GCC$Path.
  * -O<n>
   optimise, <n> is the degree how much should be done. "-O2" is the best
   possible optimisation at the moment. "-O1" is the same as "-O", "-O0"
   means no optimisation (default).
  * -Wall
   gives more warnings.

  Machine dependant stuff, i.e. don't try this on other platforms:

  * -mstubs
   compiles to target SharedCLibrary and tells the linker to link with
   stubs instead of UnixLib.
  * -maof
   same as above.
  * -mamu
   Generate the file !Depend which contains a list of all the source
   files that the produced object depend on. This is intended for use
   with amu, which edit the makefile to include these after the
   '#dynamicdependencies' line.
  * -mno-apcs
    Do not use APCS-R calling specification
  * -mno-function-name
    Do not embed function names in object code.
  * -mfpa
    Object code is intended to run using the floating point accelerator,
    rather than fpe, therefore pay attention to scheduling of
    instructions. I believe that this has little effect at the moment.
  * -mno-stack-check
    Do not perform stack checking.

 4.5 Compiling C++-sources

  GCC compiles C *and* C++-code, you only have to put the source into the
  correct subdirectory. To link C++-programs you will have to explicitly
  link with the C++-library, e.g.
    gcc -o hello hello.cc -lc++
  or:
    gcc -c hello.cc
    gcc -o hello hello.o -lc++

 4.6 Using <varargs.h>

  The versions of <varargs.h> supplied with Norcroft and UnixLib are not
  compatible with GCC, the GNU version has to be used. For the supplied
  UnixLib and the -mstubs switch, this is done automatically, but if you
  are using other libraries, you need to include the GCC include directory
  in the search path, BEFORE the library include path. i.e. -IGCC: -IC:.
  This does not apply to <stdargs.h>.

----------------------
5. Related Information
----------------------

 5.1 GCC documentation

  The original GCC documentation is written in Texinfo, which can either be
  printed via TeX and be converted into a hypertext format ("info"). You
  can also get a version for !StrongHlp v2:

  ftp://ftp.uni-stuttgart.de/pub/systems/acorn/riscos/docs/gnu/gcc-docs.zip

  CAUTION: this beast is 2MB (unpacked 7MB) big! Be aware that the given
  information belongs to GCC 2.6.3, so not every listed feature will work.

 5.2 Other FAQs

  * comp.sys.acorn: if you have trouble with your Acorn
  * gnu.g++.help (g++-FAQ): GNU-C/C++ questions
  * comp.lang.c++: system independent questions about C++

 5.3 Interactive help

  * e-mail: [e-mail]  (Simon Callan and soon Nick Burrett)
    for any problems with the ARM/RISC OS GCC compiler.

  * The "C Acorn User Group" (CAUG) supports C and C++ users on RISC
    OS machines. For more information, send an email to [e-mail].
    Their parent organisation ACCU has web pages at:
    http://bach.cis.temple.edu/accu

 5.4 Books

  5.4.1 C

  * Kernighan, B. W. and Ritchie, D. M. (1988), The C Programming Language
    (second edition). Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, USA.
    ISBN 0-13-110362-8. (The original C 'bible'. Written by the designers
    of C.)

  5.4.2 C++

  * Bjarne Stroustrup (1991), The C++ Programming Language (second
    edition). At&T Bell Telephone Laboratories, Inc. ISBN 0-201-53992-6
    (Written by the 'father' of C++)

  * Murray, Robert B. (1993), C++ Strategies and Tactics,
    Addison-Wesley, ISBN 0-201-56382-7

  * Cargill, Tom (1992), C++ Programming Style, Addison-Wesley, ISBN
    0-201-56365-7. This is a good 'second' C++ book showing you why
    and how you should be using C++ features.

  5.4.3 Object-Oriented Analysis and Design

  * Booch, Grady (1994), Object-Oriented Analysis and Design with
    Applications (2nd Edition), Benjamin/Cummings, ISBN
    0-8053-5340-2. Complete coverage of the well-known Booch method of
    OOAD.

  * White, Iseult (1994), Using the Booch Method, Benjamin/Cummings,
    ISBN 0-8053-0614-5. A practical example of the Booch method. More
    accessible but less complete than Booch's book.

(?) - Any other books, FAQs, etc. worth mentioning?