Re: Python ctypes + Intel compilers interop problem

[Andrew Haley <aph at redhat dot com>]

Jennings, Jared L CTR USAF AFMC 46 SK/CCI wrote:
> I failed to compile Python 2.6 using Intel compilers (version 9.1). I
> reported the issue to the Python folk: http://bugs.python.org/issue4130
> (q.v.). After that I found that the file I was talking about was part of
> libffi. So I subscribed to this list and lurked some. Now I'm not sure
> who wants to know about the problem.
> 
> Does Python get its libffi from sourceware? Does libffi intend to be
> compilable using any C compiler?

Not as far as I know.  There would be some work getting some of the
low-level parts working with other compilers.

> If sourceware's libffi fixes this interoperability issue, will the
> fix make it into Python eventually?

That's not up to us.

> I can't get to the machine where I found the issue anymore, so I can't
> replicate it; but it appears that __INTEL_COMPILER is defined when using
> icc, and icc defines the __m128 type instead of the __int128_t type. I
> think the only use of __int128_t is in ffi64.c, in the register_args
> struct.

There's also the AT&T assembler syntax to consider, and some GNU extended
asm in some ports.  But I don't suppose anyone would object terribly to
a few #ifdefs that would make libffi build with other compilers.

Andrew.