[fpc-devel] Re: On a port of Free Pascal to the IBM 370

[Mark Morgan Lloyd]

Mark Morgan Lloyd wrote:

> For Linux on IBM mainframes, see 
> http://linuxvm.org/present/SHARE102/S9236uw.pdf as a starting point. 
> Also I've put info on assembler formats etc. at 
> http://wiki.lazarus.freepascal.org/Assembler_and_ABI_Resources (I needed 
> comparative info when looking at MIPS a few months ago), I was hoping to 
> add links to ABIs for each architecture but didn't get that far since 
> something else intervened.

I've added a fragment of assembler code (from the Linux kernel) to the 
above page as an example. Digging around, it looks as though Linux 
assumes at least an S/390 G5, according to Wp this model was released in 
1998, I don't know whether any are still in service.

Noting Paul's intention to target MUSIC/SP, I think that the points that 
distinguish this are (a) it's compatible with older IBM OSes and (b) in 
conjunction with a suitable emulator it has TCP/IP. I don't think that 
postings earlier in this thread make clear that it's (apparently) the 
only free OS that has this combination of features, and whilst I've 
still got misgivings over e.g. its use of EBCDIC I can "see where he's 
coming from".

-- 
Mark Morgan Lloyd
markMLl .AT. telemetry.co .DOT. uk

[Opinions above are the author's, not those of his employers or colleagues]