[Fwd: Re: [PORTS] Re: Postgress 6.5.3 on Irix 6.5.x?] - Mailing list pgsql-ports

> Jim Gramke wrote:
>
> > I have g++ 2.8.1, and CC is the SGI supplied MIPS-Pro C++ compiler.  It would
> > seem one of those would be ok.
> >
> > I'll try it with the without option you describe.
>
> I don't have the C++ compiler, so I always use the --without-CXX option.
> However, I wonder if you may want to use the g++ compiler instead of CC (if you
> really need c++). (Postgres was created for the GNU compilers I believe.)
>
> Anyone out there know if using the GNU compilers is better for Postgres? Or is
> there no real difference?
>
> -Tony
>

I have always _assumed_ that the performance of the compiled code generated by
the
native compiler was superior to the GNU (generic) compiler. This assumption
echos
what others have told me. I also assume that the reason for using the GNU
compiler
is portability as most native compilers that I have used (DEC, SGI, MicroSoft,
Borland) have "special features" which make transporting the code to another
platform difficult.

I have not been able to get Postgres (6.5.1) to compile and run under SGI Irix
6.5
using a GNU compiler, gcc 2.8.1.  I have not tracked down the problem as I can
get
it to run with the native cc.  There are hints at the SGI site for some
differences between gcc and the SGI cc on their page: "Notes on building Open
Source software on IRIX",
http://toolbox.sgi.com/TasteOfDT/public/freeware/shared/howto.html.

There, they have a section comparing cc and gcc which states:

> gcc vs cc
>
>               Code that runs fine when compiled withe SGI cc and doesn't run when compiled with gcc is possibly using
callsto one of the following: 
>
>                       inet_ntoa, (and some other inet_XXX), semctl
>
>               (there may be others). These are functions that get passed or return structs that are smaller than
16-bitlong and not 8-bits long. gcc and SGI cc are incompatible in the 
>               way they pass these structs so compiling with gcc and linking with the SGI libc.so (which was compiled
withthe SGI cc) is likely to cause these problems. Note that this 
>               problem is pretty rare since such functions are not widely used. This may be considered a bug in gcc
butis too involved to fix I'm told. 
>

I have no idea if this is the problem, or something else more trivial such as
which constants are defined by difference compilers.

In the case of C++, I believe there is a problem with a new feature of C++;
something about "name spaces" (I do not know C++; this information comes from a
co-worker who played with solving the problem of compiling PostgreSQL with me).
I
also believe the SGI C++ compiler has a switch to make it revert to the earlier
style of "no-namespaces". I believe (untested by me) that this should work to
make
the SGI C++ compiler run thru PostgreSQL 6.5.3. If it is really crucial for
someone, I'll try to track down more information.

There seems to be enough trouble building PostgreSQL for Irix that I wonder if I
should prepare binaries for people. While I can not offer access from my work
site, I wonder about using a free web site like GeoCities? Has anyone had
experience with any free sites like this for downloading from?

Mark

--
Mark Dalphin                          email: mdalphin@amgen.com
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