win32 show-stoppers

[Barnaby Jones]

During my attempt to build libobjc2 for windows I stumbled over several 
problems. I still investigate it because I find Objective-C superior to 
C++ but at the moment I find no other alternative to compile 
applications on all major systems:

1. Exception unwinding: For windows you need seh support. This is now 
initial implemented in Clang but still missing in LLVM. The GCC 32Bit 
unwinding lib was also missing from my (Linux) build. This missing 
feature was caused by a (now expired) patent issue.

2.  MinGW Clang support: MinGW (w64) only supports GCC I could not find 
help for several compilation problems. Also I don't know if all 
necessary MinGW patches are now in the clang (repository) trunk.

3. CMake: The host/client cross-compilation rules for Clang are missing.

if an experimental fork/branch for gnustep/libobjc2 on win32 x64 would 
be created I would gladly help you with the port.


On 16.12.2014 03:15, Hovik Melikyan wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I'm trying to compile libobjc2 on Windows/MinGW. At the moment I'm
> stuck on this line in objc_msgSend.x86-32.S:
>
>      addl  $_GLOBAL_OFFSET_TABLE_+(8b-7b), %ebx
>
> Clang aborts here with this message: "unsupported relocation type" (I
> think it's an assertion).
>
> Command line used:
>
> clang.exe  -DGC_DEBUG -DGNUSTEP -DNO_LEGACY \
>      -DTYPE_DEPENDENT_DISPATCH -D_BSD_SOURCE=1 \
>      -D_XOPEN_SOURCE=700 -D__BSD_VISIBLE=1 \
>      -D__OBJC_RUNTIME_INTERNAL__=1 -Dobjc_EXPORTS -fPIC \
>      -c objc_msgSend.S
>
> with clang 3.5.
>
> I think I understand what global offset table is for, but I have no
> clue why clang's assembly refuses to compile it.
>
> Any ideas on how to fix this line to compile and work on MinGW 32?
>
> (I'm pretty sure there are a lot more problems ahead with this port.
> At least the calling convention in this asm file will have to be taken
> care of, and possibly more. I'm just wondering if anyone has ever had
> any success with it. I can't find anything apart from some older posts
> here in 2010 then 2013, with no positive outcome.)
>
> Thanks!
>
> --
> H.M.
>
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