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Re: autoconf: feature request: test for GCC version


From: Eric Blake
Subject: Re: autoconf: feature request: test for GCC version
Date: Wed, 13 Apr 2011 15:59:02 -0600
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On 04/13/2011 03:49 PM, Philip Prindeville wrote:
> It is sometimes useful to be able to detect the compiler version (as in the 
> case of GCC 4.2 doing some fairly aggressive optimization that breaks fragile 
> code).

Thanks for the report.

> 
> How about something like:
> 
> AC_GCC_VERSION(VER, MATCHING-VERSION, [ NON-MATCHING-VERSION ])

Unfortunately, I don't think that a macro like this belongs in autoconf.
 Why not instead follow the autoconf philosophy of feature tests rather
than version tests, and specifically compile a problematic program that
gets miscompiled by broken compilers and changes OPTIMIZE in that case.
 For all you know, gcc 4.2 on one machine may have some vendor-specific
patches that don't cause the same breakage that you are seeing with
out-of-the-box gcc 4.2.  Or, fix your code to be standards-compliant so
that undefined code doesn't trip up a valid optimization; and if gcc is
still miscompiling your program in your eyes, then report that as a bug
to the gcc folks (who will help you either see where your program is
non-compliant or will fix gcc to avoid the miscompilation).

-- 
Eric Blake   address@hidden    +1-801-349-2682
Libvirt virtualization library http://libvirt.org

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