*BSD News Article 11913


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Newsgroups: comp.os.386bsd.questions
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From: dfox@quack.sac.ca.us (David Fox)
Subject: Re: Fortran for 386bsd?
Message-ID: <fZPgzYm@quack.sac.ca.us>
Organization: The Duck Pond public unix: +1 408 249 9630, log in as 'guest'.
References: <1993Feb23.013323.13277@nas.nasa.gov>
Date: 25 Feb 1993 22:11:14 UTC
Lines: 37

In article <1993Feb23.013323.13277@nas.nasa.gov> bross@splatter.nas.nasa.gov (Bill Ross) writes:
>Is there a Fortran compiler for 386bsd?  
>
>What do you folks think of this idea: replicating a 20-50 Mbyte 
>(source & binary & test cases) suite of Unix fortran progs on a
>486dx?? laptop for development work. Assuming the compiler exists
>(probably can't afford the time to install/use f2c), is 386bsd
>likely to be stable enough?  Or any other PC Unix?

It would most likely be faster to install/use f2c that to install/use a
full-blown Fortran compiler, IMHO. Besides, f2c is pretty much reliable,
although it naturally produces larger executables than a straight fortran
compiler would.

If the numerics (which need some work) and the libraries are stable, running
real fortran on 386bsd should be just as plausible as running it on other
larger machines.  Unfortunately, there is no GNU fortran compiler available
as far as I know.  However, rumor has it that it's being worked on.  

FWIW, I've heard about people porting 200K line fortran programs with f2c/gcc
2.3.3 and it works well.

>Decision time: May. I'd be in a 3rd world country. Alternative:
>$10+/hour for login by satellite.
>
>Bill Ross


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