Re: [PATCH] Use common linker script for all i386-pc systems

[Pavel Roskin]

Quoting Vladimir 'phcoder' Serbinenko <address@hidden>:

> Hello.
>
> On Sun, May 17, 2009 at 7:33 AM, Pavel Roskin <address@hidden> wrote:
> > This allows us to remove checks for the linker symbols for the beginning
> > and the end of the .bss section.  Instead, we use the names from the
> > linker script.  Another benefit is a better unification of the build
> > system.
> I have nothing against this patch. However it modifies similar parts
> of build system as my Apple's CC patch. Could we perhaps get my patch
> in first? Also Apple's LD has no support for  linker scripts so
> unification will not be complete.

I appreciate a lot of work you put into the Apple CC support, but your  
patch complicates the code a lot.  All features have a maintenance  
cost.  Somebody will need to fix your code when it breaks.   
Considering that it can only be tested on Darwin, I'm afraid it will  
be vulnerable to bitrot.

My patch simplifies things and allows further simplifications, some of  
which could be beneficial to your effort.

Perhaps it would be better if you split uncontroversial or simple  
parts of your patch and submit them.  Also, maybe it would be better  
to limit Apple support to the EFI platforms?  That would make your  
patch less intrusive.

> >  VARIABLE(grub_end_addr)
> > -       .long   END_SYMBOL
> > +       .long   __bss_end__
> This variable isn't used at all. In my Apple's CC patch I just remove it

That change doesn't need to be in the Apple patch.  Let's do the  
simplifications first.

I, for one, didn't push support for compiling GRUB for i386-pc on pure  
x86_64 Linux because it wasn't ready.  But I committed the simple  
parts that remove unnecessary tests and simplify the code.

--
Regards,
Pavel Roskin