http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=50195
Bug #: 50195 Summary: Linking time eroor with -fast-math -O0 Classification: Unclassified Product: gcc Version: 4.7.0 Status: UNCONFIRMED Severity: normal Priority: P3 Component: c AssignedTo: unassig...@gcc.gnu.org ReportedBy: vbyakov...@gmail.com Following test fails in linking if compiled with ffast-math and O0, but it compiled successfully with ffast-math and O2. Also no problem if -lm is added. $ cat t.c #include <stdio.h> float foo(float x) { float y = 0; while (x > 0.00000001) { y += x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x; x = x/2; } return y; } int main (int argc, char *argv[]) { float y = atoi(argv[1]); printf("%f\n", foo(y)); return 0; } $ gcc -ffast-math -O0 t.c /tmp/cccA1sUB.o: In function `foo': t.c:(.text+0x2c): undefined reference to `powf' collect2: error: ld returned 1 exit status $ gcc -ffast-math -O2 t.c $ ./a.out 5 1220852096.000000 FE with -ffast-math replaced x*x*...*x with __builtin_powf. Later with -O2 this call is replaced back into multiplications in sincos phase. The stability with -O0 is because sincos phase doesn't work on -O0. I think we must avoid doing this optimization in FE and turn off -ffast-math if -O0 is used. >From Richard Guenther: No, I think we should avoid most of the builtin related folding at -O0.