Re: A patch for linux 2.1.127

H. Peter Anvin (hpa@transmeta.com)
12 Nov 1998 20:27:14 GMT

Followup to: <Pine.LNX.3.91.981112124421.147A-100000@mhw.ULib.IUPUI.Edu>
By author: "Mark H. Wood" <mwood@IUPUI.Edu>
In newsgroup: linux.dev.kernel
>
> CDC's big machines (6xxx anyway) used to have two assemblers. There was
> one that was fit for humans to use, and another designed to be used as the
> backend of the FORTRAN compiler(s). While you could use either one for
> either purpose, in most cases you probably wouldn't mess with the status
> quo. As someone has already pointed out, you can do the same sort of
> thing here by using NASM for hand-coded assembly and gas as the compiler
> backend.
>

True enough, although to use gcc inlines you need to speak the
compiler backend language. gcc inlines are *very* powerful since, in
effect, they let you create new compiler primitives on the fly, and
still have a smooth interface when it comes to register allocation
etc. If you have to suffer a function-call interface that is a
sizable overhead for small routines.

-hpa

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