From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id ; Sat, 29 Sep 2001 03:55:40 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id ; Sat, 29 Sep 2001 03:55:21 -0400 Received: from mailg.telia.com ([194.22.194.26]:15828 "EHLO mailg.telia.com") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id ; Sat, 29 Sep 2001 03:55:16 -0400 Message-ID: <3BB57E77.4CDFF5D0@energymech.net> Date: Sat, 29 Sep 2001 09:55:35 +0200 From: proton X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.08 [en] (X11; I; Linux 2.2.19 i686) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Subject: Makefile gcc -o /dev/null: the dissapearing of /dev/null Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org I noticed this a long time ago in the Linux kernel makefiles, I thought someone would have figured it out by now tho. The `gcc -o /dev/null' is a really neat way of testing if gcc works or not. Unfortunatly it doesnt work that well if you're root. You see, gcc uses unlink(). /dev/null doesnt take kindly to that kind of treatment... Ofcourse, you cant unlink /dev/null unless you are root. In any case, the `gcc -o /dev/null' test cases probably need to go away. I've seen this in linux/arch/i386/Makefile for 2.4.10, it probably exists in all previous versions as well as in other Makefiles. Happy kernel hacking! /proton ps. any replies [read: flames] would do well being CC'd to me since I dont subscribe to linux-kernel :) [ http://www.energymech.net/users/proton/ ]