[U-Boot] [RFC PATCH] ARM: print gcc version

[Alexander Holler]

Am 09.01.2011 22:03, schrieb Wolfgang Denk:
> Dear Alexander Holler,
>
> In message<1292863117-3175-1-git-send-email-holler at ahsoftware.de>  you wrote:
>> It might be useful to see what compiler version was used to compile u-boot.
>> ---
>>   arch/arm/lib/board.c |    2 +-
>>   1 files changed, 1 insertions(+), 1 deletions(-)
>>
>> diff --git a/arch/arm/lib/board.c b/arch/arm/lib/board.c
>> index 96c0e30..df90b5e 100644
>> --- a/arch/arm/lib/board.c
>> +++ b/arch/arm/lib/board.c
>> @@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ extern void dataflash_print_info(void);
>>   #endif
>>
>>   const char version_string[] =
>> -	U_BOOT_VERSION" (" U_BOOT_DATE " - " U_BOOT_TIME ")"CONFIG_IDENT_STRING;
>> +	U_BOOT_VERSION" (" U_BOOT_DATE " - " U_BOOT_TIME ", gcc " __VERSION__ ")"CONFIG_IDENT_STRING;
>
> I understand your intention, but I'm not really happy with it.
>
> So far, the version_string is mostly architecture and system independent.
> I haven't seen any comments about this, but I can imagine that we want
> such information globally.
>
> On the other hand, that would require changes to many files, and the
> gcc __VERSION__ string is pretty long on some systems, which may cause
> additional problems.

Hmm, here it includes only "4.5.2", the plain version and not the vendor 
version. Therfore I was happy with that, because the vendor version 
would be too long to display at startup.

> I also doubt that we need this information with each boot message
> (where it just slows down booting).

Hmm, I haven't counted the time needed to display additional 9 
characters, but displaying the version at startup is handy for "screen 
dumps" (e.g. stuff pasted by people with problems).

> Would it not be sufficient to add this to the code of do_version() so
> we can get this information when we want it, i. e. when running the
> "version" command?

I would like that. But as you said, my intention was really only because 
of the current problems with gcc for arm.

Besides that, I would found it handy to see the used compiler for 
u-boot's where I don't have the source by hand, e.g. those already found 
on boards. But that might be because I'm curious by default. ;)

Anyway, I would found it a nice feature, at startup or when running the 
version command, but both aren't a must.

Regards,

Alexander