What's all this about Swarm modifying the runtime?

[Paul Johnson]

I don't even really know what "runtime" means, so take this with a grain 
of salt.

Does Swarm really use a different runtime?

Swarm can be built with the stock gcc.  There is an optional patch we 
make to gcc to allow method functions, but it is not necessary.  I 
suspect that since gcc 3.2 has many optimizations incorporated from the 
Apple research team (they claim messaging is now orders of magnitudes 
faster) perhaps we don't even benefit from that one little gcc patch.

If you get a gcc snapshot on or after 2002-09-09 (not 3.2, but rather 
updates that come after it), you can build Swarm if you apply 3 small 
patches to Swarm itself.  (I can give you those patches.)

Doesn't that mean we are using the GNU runtime?

--
Paul E. Johnson                       email: address@hidden
Dept. of Political Science            http://lark.cc.ku.edu/~pauljohn
University of Kansas                  Office: (785) 864-9086
Lawrence, Kansas 66045                FAX: (785) 864-5700


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