[self-interest] Self for Linux

[Jecel Assumpcao Jr]

Maximilian,

this is great news!

> [....] Then we tried 
> to compile the Linux/optimized version but we've got a lot of fancy messages.

The compiler version that you use makes a big difference. I got many
error messages when I tried to compile Gordon's original release with 
gcc version 2.7.2.3 and then I switched to egcc (egcs-2.91.60)
and everything worked. After that I tried Gordon's 2000 release and got
two interesting errors in files that had not been changed from the
other version (which does compile), but I don't know why it worked in
the other case since it is trying to access a member declared as
private (the compiler was right to complain about this).

Reinaldo Silveira, using the gcc-2.95.2-7mdk that came with his
Mandrake 7.1 Linux distribution, was unable to compile Self since the
compiler rejects this kind of expression that is extensively used:

       char* name = isNMethod() ? "nmethod" : (isCacheStub() ? " PIC" :
                                                        "count stub");)

since it doesn't like for you to assign a const char * (the literal
strings) to a char * variable. I didn't have any problems with this.

> - Assembler-Programming on the Sparc-Architecture (we `ve already ordered 
> the following book: SPARC Architecture, Assembly Language Programming, & C 
> written by Richard Paul)

You might want to look at this tutorial while you wait for the book:

   http://www.b4b0.org/zine/b4b0-03/sparc_asm_tutorial/

You have to start with class 5 and it seems classes 9, 15, 22 and 27
are missing. But what is there seems pretty good.

> - a good overview of the structure of the vm-source-code.

Besides the little documentation that comes with the sources
themselves, running doxygen can generate interesting information:

    http://www.merlintec.com/selfvmdoc/

Since this is very slow, I would recomend that you download doxygen and
run it to get a local copy. In addition, I am switching to a DSL line
and will probably have some web and mail server problems over the next
few days.

-- Jecel
P.S.: Congratulations on the RoboCup win!