[MLton] power pc "port"

Stephen Weeks MLton@mlton.org
Fri, 27 Aug 2004 16:08:34 -0700


> Just a quick status update: We got SML/NJ to compile MLton on my
> PowerBook using the previously suggested trick ...

Sounds good.  The question is to see how long it takes an
SML/NJ-compiled MLton to compile MLton. 

> Right now I'm having some minor issues getting upgrade-basis to do
> the right thing for the Darwin/PowerPC target.  Since upgrade-basis
> is not doing the right thing, the mlton binary immediately bombs
> with a "strange arch" error in main/main.fun.  I hope to have that
> fixed shortly.
...
> That was the path that I was planning on taking if the current one failed,
> or took too much effort.  However, since the SML/NJ path seems to be
> progressing, I'll just see how far I get with it. 

OK.  It just seems to be a more challenging approach because you're
trying to solve two problems at once: compiling for Darwin/PowerPC and
compiling a huge program (MLton).  Plus you have to fight the fact
that you're using a really slow compiler (MLton compiled by SML/NJ).
It's easier to first get compiling for Darwin/PowerPC right, using a
fast compiler (MLton compiled by MLton), and then tackle huge programs
and self compilation.  But, you do have to learn the upgrade-basis
stuff sometime :-).