> > Not sure if anyone has mentioned this yet, but the xc8 and xc16 (C30)
> > compilers are built on gnu code and are available open source.
>=20
> Are you sure about this for xc8?  My understanding was that xc8 was based
> on the Hi-Tech C compiler.

You are correct, XC8 IS the Hi-Tech compiler, not just based on it. It is t=
he XC16 (C30) and XC32 (C32) compilers that are GCC based.

>=20
> >  If you are
> > doing coding that does not make use of their proprietary libraries,
> > you can use the free open source compiler version (with optimization)
> > without owning the paid compiler. Not too long ago I requested and
> > received a copy of the xc16 source snapshot from the end of 2013. If
> > you are interested in solving the riddle on compiling it let me know.
> > I think you have to use a linux cross-compiler.
>=20
> >From what I have been able to gather, there are two problems here:
>=20
> The first is that while Microchip does appear to provide all of the sourc=
e code
> to the optimizers (to meet the requirements of the GPL
> license) they do not provide any instructions or even any build tools to
> actually build a working compiler without a rather severe time investment=
..

My understanding is that there is a separate module that does the 'best' op=
timisation that is separate code from the compiler, and is not provided und=
er the GPL.

>=20
> The second is that you are not permitted to use any of Microchip's linker=
 files
> or libraries with anything other than the compilers they provide.  Thus, =
even
> if you do manage to build a working optimizing compiler, you will need to
> develop all of your own PIC-specific support files to use it.
>=20
> I am not 100% certain on this either, so any clarification from someone w=
ho
> knows better would certainly be appreciated here as well.

Realistically, the only real reason for building the GCC compiler separate =
from what Microchip provides used to be to run it on Linux or Mac machines.=
 Now Microchip provides compilers to run on these machines it doesn't reall=
y make sense to do this anymore.


--=20
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--=20
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