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haskell was C-bootstrap-able many versions ago, but you need the previous version to build the next from that point forward so it's quite a dance. There is als
by liveoneggs 9y ago
haskell was C-bootstrap-able many versions ago, but you need the previous version to build the next from that point forward so it's quite a dance.
There is also no effort to maintain the "old" version as a strict "bootstrap" since everyone just has binaries of the previous version lying around. :)
- masklinn 9y agoGHC is still C-boostrap-able. That's literally the only reason why the C backend still exists: > The C code generator is only supported when GHC is built in unregisterised mode, a mode where GHC produces 'portable' C code as output to facilitate porting GHC itself to a new platform.
- liveoneggs 9y agoso GHC can generate C code to bootstrap GHC?
- masklinn 9y agoGHC can compile GHC (or Haskell in general) to C, the main use case being bootstrapping GHC without cross-compilation, as the latter has historically been lacking: > Support for cross-compilation works reasonably well in 7.8.1. Previous versions had various issues which are usually work-aroundable. (7.8.1 was released in 2014, GHC itself is 25 years old)