Cross-compilers

[motorollin]

If a development environment has a cross-compiler for an OS on one CPU platform, does that mean it would be easier to incorporate a cross-compiler for the same OS on another platform? As an example, if the DE could cross-compile for Linux x86 but not Linux PPC, would it be easier to add cross-compile functionality for Linux PPC than it would be if it didn't already support Linux x86?

[Trev]

It's typically the othe way around, since the OS just defines the ABI.

[motorollin]

Ahhh ok, so once the compiler can build for, say, OSX x86, it will be easier to make it build for Linux x86 but not for OSX PPC?

[Trev]

Yup. Of course, someone very skilled with the target hardware may be able to write a compiler back-end faster than someone not so skilled with an OS can write a standard library and a linker. Neither task is trivial.

EDIT:

Are you looking for a specific compiler that works with a specific IDE? If you're limiting the discussion to gcc, then as long as the target is supported, it's just a matter of building the cross-compiler.

[motorollin]

Trev wrote:
Are you looking for a specific compiler that works with a specific IDE?

No, I was just wondering about this because I recently asked RealSoftware if there is any possibility of a Linux PPC cross-compiler in RealBasic. It can already compile for Linux x86 and OSX PPC, and I was just wondering whether the existing OSX PPC cross-compiler would help them to develop a Linux PPC cross-compiler more easily, or whether they would have to start all over again.