From: arne@vajhoej.dk

On 8/29/2025 1:57 PM, Simon Clubley wrote:
> On 2025-08-29, 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.

>> 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
>
> I strongly suspect that will not work as the VMS linker may not
> have the features needed to link those .o files.

If the .o files are not valid VMS .obj files, then it will
not work.

But the VMS Alpha target of gcc-as did generate valid
VMS .obj files back in time.

I don't see why anyone should have changed that since.

>> Or if possible even better:
>>
>> source-(compiler on Linux)->.s-(GCC AS on VMS)->.obj-(LINK on VMS)->VMS .exe
>
> Er, why ? If you can get the BFD library working for VMS Alpha
> once again, that's the major problem sorted.

Getting it working 100% may be a huge effort.

Generating a text file and using the native tools on VMS
seems much less risk and effort to me.

>> GCC AS (version 2.8) is working on VMS Alpha.
>
> Also, what makes you think that the GNU gas of that era will still
> be suitable for today's compilers ?

I would expect Alpha assembler to still be Alpha assembler.

The instructions are obviously the same.

And I find it unlikely that anyone has spend time the last 25
years adding advanced macros and pseudo instructions to the
Alpha assembler and the compiler.

Given the status of Alpha.

Arne

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