Re: how to support compilers that cannot create executables?

[Ralf Wildenhues]

* Steffen Dettmer wrote on Fri, Sep 18, 2009 at 12:19:19PM CEST:
> On Thu, Sep 17, 2009 at 8:20 PM, Ralf Wildenhues wrote:
> > * Steffen Dettmer wrote on Thu, Sep 17, 2009 at 05:19:46PM CEST:
> >> However, configure usually checks if the compiler can create
> >> executables. Can (should) this be prevented?
> 
> Ohh I missed that this would mean no AC_CHECK_FUNC checks would work,
> because they try to link an executable...
> (is it true that AC_CHECK_FUNC would not work?)

Many configure tests would not work, all that link.

> > Can you write a compiler wrapper that *does* create the executable
> > in a fairly standard way?
> 
> Of course such a wrapper would be possible, it could cp /bin/true
> a.out or touch a.out.

That's not what I meant.  I meant a wrapper that really does create a
working executable from the code or objects that it is given.  If you
had that, hey, you could use it for the real build, too!

> But because of the tests it would not make much sense to do so, right?
> So it is better to have dummy entry code I think.
> Sorry for my question, was not though-through.

If you cannot write such a wrapper, then it probably makes just as much
sense to pre-seed a config.site file with cache variables containing the
correct answers for this compiler.

Hope that helps.

Cheers,
Ralf