[Aldor-l] x86-64 version of Aldor?

[Christian Aistleitner]

Hello,

> I am using the x86-64 bit version of Fedora Core 3 on
> an AMD Athalon 3500+ machine. Does anyone know if the
> Aldor compiler has been modified to take advantage of
> this architecture?

I am using Aldor on my 64bit AMD on Gentoo.
I do not know of any x86_64 version. However, I have never been in contact  
with any of the compiler developers because of this. So there might be a  
x86_64 version around.

> If the answer is no, can you give
> me some ideas/references to what might be involved to
> accomplish this?

I see 3 possibilities:
- Upgrade the shipped libraries to 64bit and hope everything goes right.
- Lock up Aldor in a chroot jail
- Have a multilib system

Upgrade the shipped libraries to 64bit and hope everything goes right.
---------------------------

At first sight, the problem is not the compiler. The compiler compiles to  
C and then lets gcc do all the work. If you have a running gcc, You should  
get good x86_64 object files.

However, you have to link the code to executables. Therefore you need the  
.a versions of the libraries that are shipped with the compiler. These .a  
files contain .o files in 32bit format. 32bit and 64bit object files do  
not mix. Those libraries that are available as .al as well can be  
recompiled to 64bit without any problem (Extract the .ao files, compile to  
.o and put them in .a).
However, libfoam-car is nat provided as .a, but only as .al.
(Just as libfoam-gmp, but libfoam-gmp is a minor issue – I can live  
without gmp)
libfoam-car is essential.
So do not bother to convert your libs, unless you get hold of something  
that allows you to produce a 64bit libfoam-car.

That was the point, when I stopped trying to get Aldor to produce 64bit  
code.
Even if you get a 64bit libfoam-car, you cannot be sure, if the move from  
32bit to 64bit will break anything. Aldor has its issues on 32bit systems.  
Typically 32bit programs are more buggy on 64bit systems.

Well, but give it a go. Ask the compiler maintainers, maybe they provide  
you some version of libfoam-car that allows to be compiled to 64bit code.
However, this is essential. Otherwise you will not be able to link your  
programs (you will got unroseved references to for example fiUnwind and  
that kind of errors).

- Lock up Aldor in a chroot jail
---------------------------

This is pretty straight forward. Just a separate 32bit linux within your  
64bit linux. Your 32bit linux just "forgot" about the upper 32bits :)

- Have a multilib system
---------------------------

I do not know about Fedora Core, Gentoo however allows 32bit and 64bit  
libraries to coexist. You can have both versions of a library. This is  
basically the same as the chroot thing, but without the chroot.


However, I use 32bit Aldor on my 64bit system. I do not get the benefit  
 from 64bit MachinInteger and all the other nice things. However, I can  
compile, execute, ...

Best regards,
Christian