Re: Future of ELKS

David Given
2004-05-22T12:12:15Z

Michael McConnell wrote:
[...]
> Minix actually uses the Amsterdam Compiler Kit, and is invoked as 'cc'.

So it does --- I could have sworn it used bcc!

Having managed to track down a copy of the ACK
(http://www.cs.vu.nl/vakgroepen/cs/ack.html), I notice that it actually
seems to be a really quite sophisticated cross-platform cross-language
compiler suite. Like a gcc-light.

It supports generating code for the PDP-11, VAX, 68000, SPARC, 8080,
8086, 80386, Z80, Z8000 and the NS16032. It understands Modula-2, K&R C,
Fortran, Pascal, Basic, Occam, and --- get this --- *ANSI C*.

I haven't got it working yet, but has anyone used its ANSI C mode? How
well does it work? Would this be suitable for a self-hosted ANSI C
compiler for the 8086? A brief glance at the license would seem to
indicate it's OSI compatible, but IANAL.

(The other thing I'm wondering about --- since the ACK has been around
for years, and was well-known back in the early days of ELKS, why did
ELKS standardise on bcc rather than the ACK?)

--
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