Re: _GL_EXTERN_INLINE not defined correctly in config.h for macOS

[Ryan Schmidt]

> On Jan 18, 2022, at 15:18, Reuben Thomas <rrt@sc3d.org> wrote:
> 
> On Tue, 18 Jan 2022 at 20:56, Jeffrey Walton <noloader@gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>> If you are OS X 10.8 and above, then you will likely be using Apple
>> Clang (or LLVM Clang), and you likely won't have troubles.

You will likely be using clang on 10.7 and later. clang uses gnu99 inline 
semantics.


>> OS X 10.6 switched to llvm-gcc. It should not have a problem with
>> inline. https://releases.llvm.org/2.8/docs/CommandGuide/html/llvmgcc.html

llvm-gcc is available on 10.6 but in Xcode 3.2.6, the last free version of 
Xcode for 10.6, the default compiler is Apple gcc 4.2.1. Apple gcc 4.2.1 uses 
gnu89 inline semantics. An ancient version of clang is available on 10.6 but I 
don't recommend trying to use it.


>> OS X 10.5 and earlier use GCC 4.2, and the compiler has Apple
>> extensions, like the ability to parse Objective C and generate native
>> code for it. It had the static/inline/external problems Paul
>> discussed.

Xcode 3.1.2 is the newest for Mac OS X 10.5 and it has Apple gcc 4.2.1 but 
defaults to Apple gcc 4.0.1. In MacPorts, we decided this was too old and use 
Apple gcc 4.2.1 by default on 10.5.

Xcode 2.5 is the newest for Mac OS X 10.4 and the newest compiler it has is 
Apple gcc 4.0.1. In MacPorts, we decided this was too old and use a copy of 
Apple gcc 4.2.1 installed by MacPorts for everything except compiling that 
Apple gcc 4.2.1, which of course has to be compiled with Xcode's Apple gcc 
4.0.1.


> Sounds fine: if someone wants to compile the code I'm working on on OS
> X 10.5 or earlier, they can install a newer compiler with MacPorts.

If gnulib starts requiring a compiler newer than Apple gcc 4.2.1, that will be 
problem for MacPorts on 10.6 and earlier. We might be able to bootstrap our way 
to a newer compiler, but that wouldn't be possible if the newer compiler or any 
of its dependencies start using the newer gnulib.