Show HN: C-compiler to compile TCC for live-bootstrap

Posted by fjfaase 5 days ago

Show HN: C-compiler to compile TCC for live-bootstrap(github.com)

43 points | 7 comments

ACAVJW4H 3 hours ago|

Related: pnut.sh https://github.com/udem-dlteam/pnut just released. It’s a self-compiling C->POSIX shell transpiler that outputs readable shell, aimed at live-bootstrap and reproducible build chains. The shell edition is auditable and can bootstrap a native compiler from just POSIX sh + coreutils. Very much in the spirit of stage0 / compile-from-nothing work.

ValdikSS 5 hours ago||

Bootstapping is so complex, here's 181-step document to compile Linux: from "commented opcodes" in hex0 to assembler with labels, from simple C compiler to ~c89 compiler to tinycc ~c99 compiler, from simple shell to scheme interpreter to Fiwix unix-like kernel.

https://github.com/fosslinux/live-bootstrap/blob/master/part...

fjfaase 5 hours ago|

I have been reviewing stage0 and gave a presentation, 'reviewing live-bootstrap' about it at WHY2025, in which I also made some suggestions about improving stage0. I am now working on this.

What I refer to as stage0 is the first 19 steps of the mentioned description, which actually involves the execution of over 700 executables. (See presenration for T-diagran.) I believe that number can reduced by at least a half.

lrvick 3 hours ago||

Eliminating Mes would be amazing for us in Stagex. Mes is the second longest build in the entire tree (after rust).

stevefan1999 6 hours ago||

At this point I believe running Common Lisp/Scheme from SectorLisp wouldn't be that far off

agumonkey 5 hours ago|

don't threaten me with a good time

gaigalas 1 hour ago|

The thing about Mes is that it does riscv64 too. I don't know the current state of the support, but there is something there.

There are still many pieces of riscv64 missing in the whole thing (an equivalent to Fiwix being the most challenging right now), and realistically only x86 is currently viable. I think riscv64 is the next in line though.