*BSD News Article 17656


Return to BSD News archive

Xref: sserve comp.os.minix:22383 comp.os.386bsd.misc:525 comp.os.386bsd.questions:3353 comp.os.linux:45574
Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!munnari.oz.au!network.ucsd.edu!sdd.hp.com!spool.mu.edu!uunet!spcvxb!terry
From: terry@spcvxb.spc.edu (Terry Kennedy, Operations Mgr.)
Newsgroups: comp.os.minix,comp.os.386bsd.misc,comp.os.386bsd.questions,comp.os.linux,alt.uu.comp.os.linux.questions
Subject: Re: Choosing a Unix like OS for a pc
Message-ID: <1993Jun29.044302.6464@spcvxb.spc.edu>
Date: 29 Jun 93 04:43:02 EDT
References: <1993Jun19.125224.17510@colorado.edu> <C8wC29.9qq@world.std.com><201f9p$kkv@klaava.Helsinki.FI> <PCG.93Jun25164008@decb.aber.ac.uk>
Organization: St. Peter's College, US
Lines: 26

In article <PCG.93Jun25164008@decb.aber.ac.uk>, pcg@aber.ac.uk (Piercarlo Grandi) writes:
> The Princeton/ATT 'lcc' compiler is extremely small, and much faster
> than 'gcc'. 'gcc' is a monstrosity.
> 
> Unfortunately 'lcc' does not come with a 386 code generator; building
> one by hand or by using one of the various code generator tools that can
> be adapted to it is reputed to take only a few months of work. I cannot
> do it; any volunteers?

  I just made a BSDI kernel (presumably about the same size as a 386BSD or
NetBSD kernel). The "make depend" took 56 seconds elapsed and the "make"
took a little bit under 5 minutes elapsed. I say "a little bit under" as
ntp was adjusting the clock, so the reported time was off by a few seconds.

  This was on a 486DX2-66, Adaptec 1542B, Seagate ST42400N drive. This was
a vanilla ISA motherboard (the "Vega" 386/486 "upgradable" one) with 256Kb
of 15ns cache. Cost $735 at the local clone house. It also had 32Mb of RAM
on-board (about $1100 at the same place).

  So, gcc may indeed be a pig, but once you hit Warp 10 you don't notice
it as much 8-)

	Terry Kennedy		Operations Manager, Academic Computing
	terry@spcvxa.bitnet	St. Peter's College, Jersey City, NJ USA
	terry@spcvxa.spc.edu	+1 201 915 9381