FreeLists / openbeos / [openbeos] Re: GCC 3/OpenBeOS & Standards Question

["Michael Phipps" <mphipps1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>GCC
>===
>
>When we eventually get to an R1 release of OpenBeOS, it will probably 
>be compiled with GCC 2.9x.
>
>What I have been thinking recently is - is there anything to stop a 
>user getting a later version of GCC, specifically GCC 3.x and 
>recompiling the whole source tree, and having a "newer" system, but one 
>thats incompatiable with the official OpenBeOS release? Would there be 
>any speed/performance increase if someone did this?

It is widely believed that GCC3 is faster, for any given code, than 2.95.
I would presume that there would be a speed increase. When there is more
code written, we could quantify this.

>OpenBeOS Standards
>=============
>
>I have also been thinking of the distribution model that we seem to be 
>moving towards with OpenBeOS.
>
>It looks like OpenBeOS is going to provide a minimal system, much like 
>BeOS R5PE, and then third parties such as BeUnited are going to create 
>a distribution for people to purchase that will include other programs, 
>libraries, software and media.
>
>I quite like this idea, but what I *don't* like is the idea that in a 
>few years time we get companies making software *for these 
>distributions*

Agreed. I am talking with BU about a minimal "standard" distro.

>I think that we should say now that the OpenBeOS-Rx release are 
>standards, and if another party such as BeUnited.org create an OpenBeOS 
>release, they can have it "certified" to meet an Rx standard.

I would rather let someone else do this, but I agree that it should be done.

>This way companies/individuals can target their software at these Rx 
>standards rather than distributions and this should skip all the 
>problems Linux is having now with vendors trying to manage software 
>installations for a million different distributions. It should also 
>help create an equal playing field for the smaller comapanies or 
>individuals who want to make a distribution of OpenBeOS, as all the 
>software that is out already will work on their distro as long as they 
>stick to the standard.

In fact, as of right now, the only thing that BU is looking at as a value added
is drivers and apps. No core OS changes. I think that is a good thing.