libgxx.2.7.2.4.README
Feb 22, 1999

These archives contains the following pre-built libraries of
libg++-2.7.2.  These libraries can be used with any gcc compiler,
version 2.7.2.x.  Currently, this includes:
1) cc as distributed with OpenStep for Mach 4.2 Developer packages.
2) Any other gcc 2.7.2.x.  This libg++ distribution has been made to
complement my port of gcc for OpenStep (version 2.7.2.3.3).
See the USAGE section for more details.

file:  	libgxx-dylibs.2.7.2.4.m.NIS.b.tar.gz 
desc:  	dylibs only, intended for client deployment
sum:   	58738   551
md5sum:	735ebfcf50a2d2f89306e03893e007e6

file:  	libgxx-dev.2.7.2.4.m.NIS.bd.tar.gz
desc:  	complete package for c++ developers 
       	(documentation, header files, static libs, dylibs).
sum:   	62230  3213
md5sum:	77443db7802d9a5e602a801fd081b0d3


NOTES

Regarding the versioning of this package:
I tacked on my port attempt numbers to the end of the gcc versions, ie,
This represents my fourth (.4) attempt at porting libg++ v2.7.2 to OpenStep.  

These packages have been built for and tested on OpenStep for Mach 4.2,
but may also work on others version of OpenStep for Mach 4.x.  This build
does NOT work on NEXTSTEP 3.x and earlier.

These libraries have only been tested/used on the i386 platform.  If you
have success or failures on other platforms (especially sparc), please
let me know.

The libg++ package contains static libraries that were built with
debugging (-g), but the dylibs contained here were built without
debugging.  So, if you want/need to use gdb, link against the static
(.a) libs.  If you require the debuggable dylibs, let me know.


INSTALLATION

The tar.gz archives contain the installer packages  libgxx-dev.pkg and
libgxx-dylibs.pkg.   Use Installer.app to install one or the other
(not both) into /usr/local and you're done.  If you want to build fat
(or non-native) binaries, make sure to specify "Install software for
all architectures" (in Installer.app).


USAGE (libgxx-dev package only)

This GNU c++ library requires gcc version 2.7.2.x (any x will do).  
Compilers that can be used with this library include:
gcc (2.7.2.x)
cc (2.7.2.1) as included with DeveloperTools for OpenStep for Mach 4.2.

Pros/Cons using gcc and NeXT's cc.

gcc
 CON:	cannot produce relocatable code (using -dynamic and/or -fPIC) reliably
	(ie, can't be used to produce your OWN C++ dylibs or frameworks).
 PRO:	supports all (most?) -f flags, like -fno-implicit-templates, 
	-frtti and -fhandle-exceptions.
 CON:	Supports i386 platform ONLY (m68k and sparc not supported at this time).

cc (mostly opposite of gcc):
 PRO:	can produce relocatable code (using -dynamic) to produce your own
	C++ dylibs and/or frameworks.
 CON:	doesn NOT reliably support optional -f* compiler flags 
	(as listed above)
	(ie, the compiler dies with "Internal error").
 PRO:	Supports ALL platforms (m68k, i386, sparc), and can create 
	FAT binaries.

Tricks to using cc as c++ compiler:
 Envocation: Envoke the compiler as 'cc' NOT cc++.  cc++ uses an
  Obj-C++ mode that, frankly, doesn't work too well (at least not
  for pure c++ code).  cc will recognize c++ files automatically if
  the files have .cc,.C,.cpp extensions.

 Linking: You need to explicitly specify these libraries (-lstdc++
  and/or -lg++) at link time when using cc.


CAVEATS

The i386 port has been tweaked to at least attempt to support the -frtti and -fhandle-exceptions compiler flags.  The m68k and sparc libraries most likely
will not support them.


HISTORY

pending    	(2.7.2. port 5)
- include static libraries built with -static flag.
- update scripts to create links for both .dylib and .a libraries

Feb 22, 1999	(2.7.2 port 4)
- rename because the +'s in the pkg name sometimes messes up 
Installer.app and pre_install and post_install scripts.

May 29, 1998	(2.7.2 port 3)
- Oops, -dynamiclib method requires -arch flags for non-fat targets. hmm..
- Include pre_/post_ install and pre_/post_delete scripts in libg++-dev
  to handle setup details... mostly just a few symbolic links to help
  the compilers find header/library files.
- Create gzipped packages
- Fixed linking problems.  Needed to create dylibs with 
  cc -dynamiclib
  instead of manually using libtool,
  libtool -dynamic

April 13, 1998	(2.7.2 port 3beta)
- libio/fstream.cc requires -static when built with cc (gcc ok).
- cc made binaries requires -lcc.  Without it, some __builtin functions
  will not be found (sometimes) at runtime (yes runtime, NOT linktime).
  Without -lcc, it'll link against -lcc_dynamic, which, I think, is the
  source of this problem/bug.  (Again, gcc is ok).  
  This doesn't seem to help for Rhapsody/DR1.  ???
- Fixed non-relocation warning wrt to random.o in libstdc++.a (compile w/ -O0)
- Remove libg++ from gcc, put in separate package. 
- Modified libc.h to bootstrap bsd/libc.h (so that common c functions
  will no longer be undefined).


CREDITS

GNU Software, libg++ source
ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/

Packager
Rex Dieter <rdieter@math.unl.edu>
Computer System Manager 
Universtity of Nebraska-Lincoln  
Department of Mathematics and Statistics 
http://www.math.unl.edu/~rdieter/