From: antispam@fricas.org   
      
   Simon Clubley  wrote:   
   > On 2025-08-29, Waldek Hebisch  wrote:   
   >> Arne Vajhøj  wrote:   
   >>> On 8/29/2025 10:14 AM, Waldek Hebisch wrote:   
   >>>> I wonder if anybody is using GNU binutils targeting VMS.  I am   
   >>>> trying to set up toolchain for cross-compilation (from Linux) to   
   >>>> Alpha VMS.  Trying reasonably recent (2.43 and 2.39) binutils I   
   >>>> get errors suggesting serious brokennes, for example when I use   
   >>>> 'ar' to create a library and later extract a member I get changed   
   >>>> file and 'objdump' says that extracted file is malformed.   
   >>>>   
   >>>> I am now trying binutils 2.21 and apparently they do not have the   
   >>>> problem above.  But I see some weirdness and apparently '-shared'   
   >>>> option (to create shared image) is not supported.   
   >>>   
   >>> I suspect very few try to build VMS executables on Linux.   
   >>>   
   >>> GNV got both ar and ld, but that does not help you.   
   >>   
   >> Where are the sources?  Working sources certainly would help.   
   >>   
   >   
   > Aren't they simply wrappers around the native VMS utilities ?   
      
   Unfortunately yes.   
      
   >>> But are you sure you want to do it this way?   
   >>>   
   >>> My understanding is that you want to do:   
   >>>   
   >>> source-(compiler on Linux)->.obj->(ld on Linux)->VMS .exe   
   >>>   
   >>> I would go for:   
   >>>   
   >>> source-(compiler on Linux)->.obj->(LINK on VMS)->VMS .exe   
   >>   
   >> That is plan B.  Working binutils would be simpler because   
   >> I could use existing automated process.   
   >>   
   >   
   > Binutils worked at one time because I was able to do the whole   
   > sequence, including generating the final C VMS executable, on Linux.   
      
   Thanks, good to know this.   
      
   >> Actually, ATM I getting errors during gcc build.  I can use   
   >> crude workaround to go further, but I am affraid that to get   
   >> working compiler I need either working binutils or to examine   
   >> all build steps involving binutils and do equvalent work in   
   >> different way.   
   >>   
   >   
   > That's where I gave up. I either didn't understand the required   
   > VMS-specific build steps or there were bits missing from the public   
   > source kits.   
      
   There are missing pieces, build needs VMS header files and libraries.   
   If those pieces are incomplete, then configuration may go wrong   
   and lead to trobles later.   
      
   Currently I have fairly incomplete set of header files, so I expect   
   trouble due to this.  OTOH libgcc seem to compile fine, so C   
   compiler probably will work.  I worked around trouble with   
   shared images by configuring gcc with '--disable-shared',   
   suboptimal but must do for now.   
      
   --   
                                 Waldek Hebisch   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
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