Port TCC (Tiny C Compiler) to meniOS

[pbalduino]

Context

Port TCC (Tiny C Compiler) as stepping stone to native compilation. Smaller and simpler than GCC.

UNBLOCKED - Ready to Implement!

ALL BLOCKERS ARE COMPLETE!

Both critical libc features that TCC requires are now implemented:

1. Signal Handling - COMPLETE

• sigaction() with full flag support
• sigemptyset(), sigfillset(), signal set operations
• SA_SIGINFO, SA_RESTART, SA_RESETHAND flags
• siginfo_t structure

Status: #337 - COMPLETE

2. Floating-Point Parsing - COMPLETE

• strtod(), strtof(), strtold() - Parse string to float
• ldexp(), frexp(), modf() - Float manipulation
• Scientific notation support (e.g., "1.23e-4")
• Hex float support (e.g., "0x1.8p3")

Status: #338 - COMPLETE

All Dependencies Complete

• #29 - Cross-compiler toolchain - COMPLETE
• #193 - Minimal libc functional - COMPLETE
• #208 - Pipes (TCC uses pipes for preprocessor) - COMPLETE
• #189 - FAT32 write support (save output) - COMPLETE
• #205 - I/O scheduler (performance) - COMPLETE
• #253 - Buddy allocator - COMPLETE
• #337 - Signal handling API - COMPLETE
• #338 - Float parsing - COMPLETE

Non-Blocking (TCC Doesn't Need)

These libc gaps exist but TCC doesn't use them:

• termios - Not used by TCC
• pthreads - TCC is single-threaded
• networking - Not needed for compilation
• locales - Not used by TCC
• wide chars - Not used by TCC
• poll/select - Not used by TCC

Requirements

• Port TCC to meniOS userland
• Support compilation to ELF
• Integration with binutils (as, ld) - see #191
• Basic optimization support

Acceptance Criteria

• [ ] TCC compiles and runs on meniOS
• [ ] Can compile simple C programs
• [ ] Generated binaries execute correctly
• [ ] Crash handlers work properly (sigaction)
• [ ] Floating-point literals parse correctly (strtod/ldexp)

Implementation Plan

Phase 1: Initial Port (2-3 weeks)

1. Download TCC source code
2. Build TCC with meniOS cross-compiler
3. Port TCC runtime/startup code
4. Basic integration testing

Phase 2: Testing & Validation (2-3 weeks)

1. Test compilation of simple C programs
2. Verify crash handlers work (sigaction test)
3. Verify float parsing works (compile code with floats)
4. Test with increasingly complex programs
5. Integration with binutils (#191)

Phase 3: Polish & Documentation (1 week)

1. Test suite execution
2. Real-world program compilation
3. Performance benchmarking
4. Documentation updates

Total Estimated Time: 4-6 weeks

Priority

CRITICAL - Ready to start immediately!

Critical path to native compilation and GCC milestone.

Current Status

READY TO IMPLEMENT

All dependencies are satisfied. TCC port can begin now.

Integration with binutils

#191 (binutils port) is also ready and can be developed in parallel. Having both TCC and binutils will enable:

• Native compilation of C programs
• Assembling and linking on meniOS
• Foundation for eventual GCC port

Related Issues

• #191 - binutils port (parallel track, also ready)
• #337 - Signal handling API - COMPLETE
• #338 - Float parsing - COMPLETE
• #339 - Thread-safe libc (future enhancement)
• #340 - Extended stdio (nice to have)

Next Steps

1. Start TCC port implementation
2. Test crash handler support
3. Test float literal compilation
4. Coordinate with binutils (#191) for integration