In config/c-compiler.m4 I read

if test "$ac_env_CFLAGS_set" != set; then
  CFLAGS="$CFLAGS $pgac_cv_prog_cc_no_strict_aliasing"
fi

This means that a configure operation as innocuous-looking as

	CFLAGS="-O3" ./configure

will break the build on gcc >= 3.3 because it will fail to supply
-fno-strict-aliasing.  I claim this is a lousy idea.  We should drop
the if-test and always add -fno-strict-aliasing if the compiler
will take it.  People who *really* know what they are doing can
experiment with removing the switch from Makefile.global after
configure, but I don't think it should be quite this easy to lose it.

			regards, tom lane

Fri, 30 Jan 2004 13:49:49 -0500
Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us>
Why is it so easy to override -fno-strict-aliasing?


Tom Lane wrote:

>In config/c-compiler.m4 I read
>
>if test "$ac_env_CFLAGS_set" != set; then
>  CFLAGS="$CFLAGS $pgac_cv_prog_cc_no_strict_aliasing"
>fi
>
>This means that a configure operation as innocuous-looking as
>
>	CFLAGS="-O3" ./configure
>
>will break the build on gcc >= 3.3 because it will fail to supply
>-fno-strict-aliasing.  I claim this is a lousy idea.  We should drop
>the if-test and always add -fno-strict-aliasing if the compiler
>will take it.  People who *really* know what they are doing can
>experiment with removing the switch from Makefile.global after
>configure, but I don't think it should be quite this easy to lose it.
>
>  
>

I agree.

cheers

andrew


Fri, 30 Jan 2004 14:06:05 -0500
Andrew Dunstan <andrew@dunslane.net>
Re: Why is it so easy to override -fno-strict-aliasing?