LLVM 16.0 Released With New Intel/AMD CPU Support, More C++20 / C2X Features

[phoronix]

Phoronix: LLVM 16.0 Released With New Intel/AMD CPU Support, More C++20 / C2X Features

LLVM 16 was released on Friday night as the latest half-year feature release to this open-source compiler stack. From initial AMD Zen 4 support to bringing up new Intel CPU instruction sets and processor targets for their new processors being introduced through 2024, there is a lot of exciting hardware additions in LLVM 16.0. LLVM 16.0 is also notable for faster LLD linking, Zstd compressed debug sections, stabilizing of its LoongArch target, defaulting to C++17 for Clang, and much more. Here's a look at all the exciting changes of LLVM 16...

https://www.phoronix.com/news/LLVM-16.0-Released

[equeim]

>- LLVM 16's libstdc++ C++ standard library

libc++, not libstdc++

[Lycanthropist]

THe LLVM 16's LLD linker has much faster link speeds for ELF objects compared to LLVM 15.

How does that now compare to mold?

[NobodyXu]

How does that now compare to mold?

According to mold, lld is slower than mold when LTO is not enabled.

Since mold does not support lto, I'd say that lld should be preferred if your project needs lto.

[pkese]

Also Xtensa architecture (famous for ESP8266 / ESP32 WiFi enabled microcontrollers) support is getting first LLVM patch inclusion.

It'll take a while though before one can compile Rust with a mainline checkout of LLVM compiler.
In the meanwhile the workaround is to download Espressif's LLVM fork.

[ayumu]

How does that now compare to mold?

LLVM's is BSD/Apache, mold is Affero GPL.

As Affero is a very problematic license, LLVM's LLD is recommended.

[brad0]

Also Xtensa architecture (famous for ESP8266 / ESP32 WiFi enabled microcontrollers) support is getting first LLVM patch inclusion.

It'll take a while though before one can compile Rust with a mainline checkout of LLVM compiler.
In the meanwhile the workaround is to download Espressif's LLVM fork.

A portion of the work on the Xtensa support has gone in. It'll be closer to 18.x before it'll start to be in a usable state.

[brad0]

How does that now compare to mold?

I'd much rather the linker that is portable, builds, works now, is feature complete and without a problematic license.

[Lycanthropist]

LLVM's is BSD/Apache, mold is Affero GPL.

As Affero is a very problematic license, LLVM's LLD is recommended.

I don't care about the exact license as long as the source is available. I care about linking speed.

[JacekJagosz]

LLVM's is BSD/Apache, mold is Affero GPL.

As Affero is a very problematic license, LLVM's LLD is recommended.

Mold author chose this license, because he wanted to actually get financial support for all the work he has done, from big companies using his project. I totally understand that, and distributions can still use it, sounds good to me.