gdb on 3b1 up and running

[John Wilkes]

In article <5171 at killer.DALLAS.TX.US> loci at killer.DALLAS.TX.US (loci!clb) writes:
>	Also, since the gnu stuff always makes the stats for
>	least popular groups, are you sure anyone cares?

Do you refer to the gnu.* groups on Usenet?  I think that's a separate issue.

>	Assuming that people do care (about gnu), please tell me why.
>	I'm curious to know what attracts users to it.

Yes, I care about GNU.  First of all, I began using the emacs editor when
it was Teco-based and ran only on PDP-10's.  At this point in my life, I am
too set in my ways to use anything else.  Of course, choice of editor is a
very personal (and religious for some) decision.

As for the specific case of gcc and gdb on 3B1 machines, I don't think that
AT&T is going to be putting much effort into cc and sdb for us, do you?  I
suspect that the gnu compiler and debugger will be much better supported.
I'd wager that there are an order of magnitude more people working on gcc
and gdb than there are working on the 3B1 versions of cc and sdb.  I have
seen suggestions that gcc generates better code than the pcc-based C
compiler supplied by AT&T for the 3B1 (admitedly not hard to do).  Also, I
have not heard anything about c++ being available on the 3B1, but we will
be able to get g++.  And it will cost much less than equivilent software
from AT&T ;-).  AT&T did not give me the source code for cc and sdb on my
3B1; source for gcc/gdb is readily available.  For free.  I don't know what
I'd do with the source, but maybe I can learn something from it.  I like
having it available.  At the very least, I can apply patches as they come
out and stay current.

Finally, I am in general agreement with Richard Stallman's philosophy
regarding software, and it makes me feel good to use stuff from FSF.  But I
digress into religious topics.

These newsgroups are no longer appropriate for this discussion, where
should it go?  away? ;-) ;-)

>			CLBrunow - KA5SOF
>	Loci Products, POB 833846-131, Richardson, Texas 75083
>	   clb at loci.uucp, loci at killer.uucp, loci at csccat.uucp


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