Google Now Uses Clang As Their Production Compiler For Chrome Linux Builds

[-MacNuke-]

btw. ArchLinux uses clang for chromium because with gcc 4.9 chromium just crashes:

https://projects.archlinux.org/svntogit/packages.git/tree/trunk/PKGBUILD?h=packages/chromium

[pal666]

What to explain?

They have to use the MS compiler on Windows (I think), GCC on Linux and Clang on OS X. Now they are switching to clang because it can also produce Linux Binaries without any harm.

So why use gcc if you can use 1 compiler for 2 systems?

i'm pretty sure you can use gcc on all 3
btw, it is your explanation, you just made it up. it was not communicated in original mail.
where is explanation of not upgrading gcc for 3 consecutive releases ?

[-MacNuke-]

where is explanation of not upgrading gcc for 3 consecutive releases ?

On Debian GCC 4.7 is the standard-compiler? Maybe they are using an older (but maybe supported) Debian?

[pal666]

On Debian GCC 4.7 is the standard-compiler? Maybe they are using an older (but maybe supported) Debian?

according to your new attempt at explaining it, they are forbidden to use clang at all

[DanL]

Google's always shoving Chrome downloads down peoples' throats (like when you download Flash player), so an 8% smaller binary may be significant for them. As long as the user experience is the same, I can't fault them for switching, even if they have ulterior motives.

GCC rarely miscompiles the code

gcc 4.9 has some issues (someone listed like 4-5 programs that no longer worked correctly) I even hit one myself: https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugr...cgi?bug=757735

[-MacNuke-]

gcc 4.9 has some issues

"Some" sounds too less

Even Gentoo does not use GCC 4.9 and ArchLinux uses clang on all things GCC 4.9 can't do.

[erendorn]

Bullocks. What matters to the user is performance and performance only (stability too, but GCC rarely miscompiles the code and such errors are usually fixed in a timely manner).

Google has thousands of servers so the compiler performance is like the last thing on Earth they care about.

I smell something fishy here - like they withhold some important information about the decision but let's leave it to them.

What did you not understand in "internally" and "pre-production"?
Compiler performance and diagnostics do matter to developers.

The reason for the change of the production compiler are different, and explained in the source post and by users here.

[pal666]

gcc 4.9 has some issues (someone listed like 4-5 programs that no longer worked correctly) I even hit one myself: https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugr...cgi?bug=757735

or maybe issue is with program which passes null pointer to memcpy

[profoundWHALE]

"Some" sounds too less

some - "at least a small amount or number of people or things"
too - "to a higher degree than is desirable"
less - "to a smaller extent; not so much"

Going by these definitions and others, I'm having trouble comprehending this. I read it as "A small amount that sounds more than less than."

[-MacNuke-]

or maybe issue is with program which passes null pointer to memcpy

Clang can't build something or runs slower -> Clangs fault
GCC can't build something or runs slower -> Applications fault