Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Gcc 4.3.4 ---> 4.4.1

[Alan McKinnon <alan.mckinnon@gmail.com>]

On Saturday 15 August 2009 02:33:56 felix@crowfix.com wrote:
> This being 4.3.4 to 4.1.1 looks like a major version change according
> to the upgrade guide.  It doesn't mention what a switch manual takes,
> but it does list a whole series of steps such as remerging system and
> world without saying exactly when they or how much are necessary.  I'd
> just as soon not do that unless necessary, but I'd much more regret
> not doing it if I should have.

All you need to do for this gcc-config is select the new compiler for the 
system, but only if you choose to.

There are no other steps. If a system rebuild is necessary, the upgrade guide 
will say so in terms that make for no confusion, and the ebuild elog will say 
the same. They do not, so there is no need.

Look, the amount of confusion in gentoo-land about gcc upgrades defies belief. 
The upgrade guide explicitly says it is talking about going from a named 
version X to another named version Y, and somehow vast numbers of people morph 
this into somehow meaning that it must always be done. This is not true.

It only needs to be done when the compiler introduces ABI changes that make 
new object code incompatible with old object code that the new code intends to 
use. And it is always well-publicised when this happens (it couldn't be any 
other way, the dev's reputations depends on them doing exactly that.)

-- 
alan dot mckinnon at gmail dot com