I'm pretty sure GPLv3 came out way after GNU AS supported .intel_syntax. I suspect that Apple doesn't want to upgrade because they've made too many changes to the assembler and don't want to port those changes to a later version of GNU AS.
I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask Apple directly. Does anyone know if they have an open source outreach/liason person? BTW, on 64-bit Mac OS X, the performance difference should be much smaller, if you compile Crypto++ into a 64-bit binary. (I don't remember if that happens automatically, or if you have to set some compiler flags.) -------------------------------------------------- From: "Zooko Wilcox-O'Hearn" <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, November 17, 2009 2:09 PM To: "Wei Dai" <[email protected]> Cc: "Jose Cisneros" <[email protected]>; "Crypto++ Users" <[email protected]> Subject: Re: Performance in Mac OS X > On Tuesday, 2009-11-17, at 13:47 , Wei Dai wrote: > >> That's because the assembler in Mac OS X is based on a very old version >> of GNU AS, which doesn't support .intel_syntax. The assembly code in >> Crypto++ is written in Intel syntax to be compatible with Microsoft >> compilers/assemblers. > > > It is indeed a very old version. It calls itself "v1.38". GNU AS v1.38 > was released so long ago that I can't figure out when it was. It was > released before 1996, and probably many years before 1996. > > I think that Apple refuses to upgrade to the new GNU assembler because > the new one is under GPLv3 and Apple doesn't like that. > > So, I don't know if or how this situation is ever going to be improved. > Apple will patch its ancient version of as to do the new syntax? Wei Dai > will write old-style-syntax variants of all his assembly just for Mac OS > X? Apple will give up and accept GPLv3- licensed assembler? All Apple > users will instead install some open source operating system on their > machines? > > I guess what will happen is Crypto++ will continue to be much slower on > Mac OS X than on other systems. Maybe this doesn't matter in practice. > Just how slow is it? Slow enough that it diminishes your battery life? > Slow enough that it worsens the user experience? > > Maybe someone who cares about this issue should write to Apple and > request that their assembler support Intel syntax. > > Regards, > > Zooko > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the "Crypto++ Users" Google Group. To unsubscribe, send an email to [email protected]. More information about Crypto++ and this group is available at http://www.cryptopp.com.
