Re: CVS branch gmp-kernel-2-2-5

[Karim BELABAS <Karim.Belabas@math.u-psud.fr>]

On Wed, 6 Nov 2002, Bill Allombert wrote:
> I do not thing we will remove the pari kernel, but it will become
> as deprecated as is now the m68K kernel.

Actually, a bit less deprecated: I'd like to completely remove the m68k
kernel.

* This would clean up a number of messy issues (OLD_CODES,
incompatible variants implemented in mp.c and mp.s, scores of useless error
messages, more complicated configuration).

* We cannot test that kernel anymore: 2.0.9 was the last version I could
check, more than 4 years ago. It also turns out that people that tried to
compile that kernel running modern operating systems (Debian Linux) on that
hardware did not succeed, despite major tweaking, because gcc does not
understand the assembler syntax in mp.s.

* Using the portable kernel, the m68k version was only about 30% slower
than with the full-blown assembler [ that was in 2.0.9 days, the kernel has
improved since then, probably further narrowing the gap ].

* It would make the distribution smaller

Any objections ?

    Karim.
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Karim Belabas                    Tel: (+33) (0)1 69 15 57 48
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