Section D.1. Development Environment for Linux on POWER

D.1. Development Environment for Linux on POWER

D.1.1. Compilers

Two compiler sets are available for Linux on POWER: the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) and the IBM XL C/C++ compiler set. Here is a brief overview of each compiler set and their advantages:

• GCC. For projects developed across multiple platforms where a GCC compiler is the original compiler, the GCC compiler is normally used to build applications for Linux on POWER. GCC also allows some code prototypes that only GCC understands, such as GCC-specific macros.

• XL C/C++ and Fortran. XL C/C++ and Fortran compilers offer a high-performance alternative to GCC, as well as a number of additional features. XL compilers produce 32- and 64-bit GNU ELF objects, which are fully compatible with the objects GCC compilers produce. This is because the XL C/C++ compilers employ the same GNU libraries, linker, assembler, and binutils as GCC. In fact, functionality formerly exclusively offered by GCC compilers has been ported to XL C/C++ to facilitate source compatibility (for example, some GCC macros and inline functions). Sophisticated XL C/C++ optimization routines have been developed for and tailored to the POWER architecture. High-performance computing applications, especially those heavily reliant on floating-point operations, often benefit significantly from a simple recompile with XL C/C++. For more information about the XL C/C++ compiler set, visit www.ibm.com/software/awdtools/xlcpp/features/linux/.

D.1.2. Binutils

The GNU binutils are a set of tools for building and working with binaries. The GNU binutils for Linux on POWER conform to the PowerOpen application binary interface (ABI) and the 64-bit PowerPC ELF ABI Supplement guidelines.

D.1.3. Java

Java development for Linux on POWER is supported by the IBM Java Developer Kit for Linux. This developer kit is available in both 32- and 64-bit versions at no cost from IBM at www.ibm.com/developerworks/java/jdk.

D.1.4. 64-Bit Linux Distributions

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server

Red Hat Enterprise Linux Advanced Server

Yellow Dog Linux

Debian

Gentoo

OpenSUSE

Fedora