Peter Koellner writes: > well, and then take the fact that dpkg gcc 2.95.4 is derived from > the original sources of gcc 2.95.2..
that's some kind of misinformation. 2.95.4 is derived from 2.95.3, following the gcc-2_95-branch on CVS. Documentation/Changes reads: The recommended compiler for the kernel is gcc 2.95.3 or .4, and it should be used when you need absolute stability. You may use gcc 3.0.x OTOH gcc upstream claims that Debian's gcc is "flakey at best". See http://lists.debian.org/debian-gcc/2001/debian-gcc-200112/msg00159.html It's unfortunate, that 2.95.x development got stuck somewhere. Questions about 2.95.4 on the gcc mailing list remain unanswered. And this recommendation doesn't hold for all architectures supported by Debian ...