🚀 go-pugleaf

I noticed your reply to a header files for DEC C 1.2 on AXP question
and thought you might be able to help me...

Since our bean counters failed to see the wisdom of buying a C compiler
for our VAXEN, I've been trying to use GNU GCC.  The hitch comes
when attempting to build most packages, which if VMS-aware, invariably
assume the availability of header files and (often-undeclared) function
library calls.

I asked our system manager to check CONDIST for the VAX C headers,
thinking that since VAXCRTL was installed by default, the headers
shouldn't be too far away.  He found and installed DEC C headers.

GNU GCC relies on VAXCRTL, and many of
GCC.INCLUDE files explicitly state that they are VAX C header makeovers,
but it seems either that not ALL of VAXCRTL is embodied in GNU's headers,
or that some of the VMS-aware code I've attempted to build actually
assumes that DEC C is available. i.e. it seems that DEC C supports
_IOLBF (line buffering) in stdio.h, but that VAX C didn't.

This seems reminiscent of doing ports to HPUX which is in the
never_never_land between SYSV and BSD flavours of unix, trying to
be both, but at times actually being neither!  In those situations,
I could always access 'real' BSD and SYSV machines to find out
what 'adjustments' were required.  In this VMS case, I've got no
baseline at all.

My questions:  are both VAX C and DEC C header files on CONDIST ?
                           Does DEC C rely on VAXCRTL at ALL, or is there a whole
                                  new, completely independant RTL ?
                           What are the common, unstated assumptions, the supposedly
                                  VMS-aware ports of code make about the 'standard'
                                  environment on the target machine?
                           What's the best way to proceed in using GCC to build ports
                                  keeping the above assumptions in mind? (buy DEC C, right :)

Any assistance you could offer would be much appreciated.

thx, kk

cc.  help-gcc@prep.ai.mit.edu