Re: [TCLUG:607] Mixing Alphas and x86s

[Michael Hicks <hick0088@tc.umn.edu>]

> Not having an Alpha either, I would assume that you would have to
> compile any binaries you want on the platform you wish for them to
> execute, unless you find some way to execute Alpha applications on an
> Intel box. I think I heard something about this sometime but I haven't
> put too much faith into it.

Well, I know when I (mostly unsuccessfully) tried to compile gcc several
months ago, you could compile it to compile code for platforms that you
don't run on (this would be good for say, compiling m68kLinux binaries
on PPCLinux boxes -- much faster, I would think..)

Unfortunately, there are many disadvantages.  You would either have one
compiler on your system that won't compile for the system it runs on, or
you would have multiple compilers, resulting in a big chunk of disk
space being used up -- not to mention having separate libraries for each
processor type... (I think..  It may be possible to compile
dynamically-linked binaries without having any libraries that would work
on the systems you're compiling for..  just using the symbols, and
hoping that they're there on other systems)

Anyway, I believe this is what is called a 'cross-compiler.'  I'm pretty
sure this is how the guy that maintains XAnim can produce movie
libraries for different platforms without actually having those systems
at his home..

Mike Hicks
-- 
Linux: Because a PC is a terrible thing to waste