GMP: IBM mainframe build results

[Ralf Wildenhues]

* Tim Van Holder wrote on Tue, Jul 17, 2007 at 08:57:56AM CEST:
[...]
> Both compiles and links are affected.
> 
> For the linking, automake puts the -o at the end itself, so it is
> at least partially to blame. Then again, libtool does already move
> the -o to a place before the list of libraries, so it could just as
> easily move it before the object file name too.
> 
> For the compilation, the relevant bit in ltmain.sh is (line 989 in the
> first ltmain.sh that comes to hand):
[...]
> If this is changed to
> 
>       command=$base_compile
>       if test "$pic_mode" = yes; then
> 	command="$base_compile $pic_flag"
>       fi
>       if test "$compiler_c_o" = yes; then
> 	command="$command -o $obj"
>       fi
>       command="$command $qsrcfile"
> 
> I believe that it will retain its current functionality while also
> guaranteeing the source file comes last. Currently, even without -c -o
> being able to be used together, it would still put -fPIC or whatever at
> the end -- not an issue for OpenMVS (no PIC flag detected), but it could
> cause similar invocation troubles on some other host.

Well, all good and well, except that I found this commit in the
archives:

| 1999-10-28  Stephane Conversy  <Stephane.Conversy at lri.fr>
| 
|         * ltmain.in (-DPIC):  changed the order of pic flags a little to
|         prevent upsetting the sgi c++ compiler.

<http://cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/libtool/ltmain.in?hideattic=0&root=libtool&r1=1.196&r2=1.197>

Since I did not manage to find corresponding discussion, so I don't know
whether this compiler is still in use, nor whether it can be worked
around there; maybe we should just leave things the way they are.

It may be helpful to document how to get things working on OpenVMS.
Also I should point out that Thien-Thi Nguyen has been maintaining
a port of Autoconf to VMS at some point in time.  It used to be at
<http://www.glug.org/people/ttn/software/autoconf-for-vms/>
but I don't know where it went, can't find it now.

Cheers,
Ralf