[GHC] #608: Make the NCG able to compile the RTS

[GHC]

#608: Make the NCG able to compile the RTS
---------------------------------+------------------------------------------
  Reporter:  simonmar            |          Owner:         
      Type:  task                |         Status:  new    
  Priority:  normal              |      Milestone:         
 Component:  Compiler            |        Version:  None   
  Severity:  normal              |     Resolution:  None   
  Keywords:                      |             Os:  Unknown
Difficulty:  Difficult (1 week)  |   Architecture:  Unknown
---------------------------------+------------------------------------------
Changes (by simonmar):

  * architecture:  => Unknown
  * difficulty:  => Difficult (1 week)
  * os:  => Unknown

Old description:

> {{{
> It is almost possible to compile the RTS with the native code generator.
> What is missing is support for loops: code generated by GHC doesn't
> normally contain loops (or rather, loops are explicit as jumps to top-
> level labels), but the RTS code does contain some loops.  The register
> allocator in particular will need some work.
>
> There's nothing fundamentally difficult here, and it doesn't need to do a
> fantastic job, just a half-decent one.  The code to be compiled in the
> RTS isn't performance-critical.
>
> }}}

New description:

 {{{
 It is almost possible to compile the RTS with the native code generator.
 What is missing is support for loops: code generated by GHC doesn't
 normally contain loops (or rather, loops are explicit as jumps to top-
 level labels), but the RTS code does contain some loops.  The register
 allocator in particular will need some work.

 There's nothing fundamentally difficult here, and it doesn't need to do a
 fantastic job, just a half-decent one.  The code to be compiled in the RTS
 isn't performance-critical.

 }}}

-- 
Ticket URL: <http://cvs.haskell.org/trac/ghc/ticket/608>
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