Re: [9fans] compilers - was GUI toolkit for Plan 9

[Matt H <matt@proweb.co.uk>]

Okay, I'm no compiler writer or even very proficient C coder but all this
talk of turning optimizations off concerns me. Not because of the threat
of "badly" generated code but because the chip makers (well Intel is the
only one I really read about) are pushing the responsibility for
optimization out of the silicon and into the compiler. (providing I
understand what I read!)

In my minimal contact with C I've regarded optimizations with scorn,
because like disk compression schemes a lá DoubleSpace, my first
encounters were tainted by failure. All optimizations did then (MS C ver 3
on win3.1 i think) was crash quickly.

Does anybody know how runtime optimizations such as those in the Crusoe
chip fair at this? If optimization is tricky at compile time sounds like
doing it at runtime must be hairy. Has anyone even tried to run plan9 on a
Crusoe?

M