[Python-Dev] Python on 64-bit AIX

[M.-A. Lemburg]

Christopher Petrilli wrote:
> 
> Fredrik Lundh [fredrik@pythonware.com] wrote:
> > > Has Python already been tested extensively on 64-bit machines ?
> >
> > python works perfectly fine on the AXP platform
> > (and has done so since 1.2, at least).  should work
> > fine on any LP64 platform.
> >
> > (given good enough compilers, that is. we don't use gcc on
> > AXP -- earlier gcc's didn't work well, and DEC's own tools are
> > not only excellent, but they're also shipped with the OS)
> 
> I think this is an important ote.  GCC has some serious flaws in its 64-bit
> support on various platforms (and I don't believe supports PowerII/III
> and the 64 bit architecture).  My experience has been that on AXP, PPC
> and POWER systems that the vendor compilers are not only more reliable,
> but substantially faster (on POWER, it's 50% or more in many cases).
> 
> The joy with AIX compilers is in finding the right combination of switches
> to get it doing what you want.  Start with 'c98' rather than 'cc' and you'll
> be much happier :-)

Well, it does seem to compile linkable programs and I even
got Python and my extensions all running. I would have liked
to use the native OS compilers but the client has a rather
strange attitude towards: the argument is to use GNU tools out-
side the firewall and AIX tools on the inside -- no idea what
this buys for him, but that's the reason why I'm stuck to gcc
and a few undefined symbols in some libs :-(

Thanks for your comments,
-- 
Marc-Andre Lemburg
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