[Mingw-users] shared libgcc

[Jeff Sturm]

Hugues Talbot wrote:
> > I do not see any reason why libgcc must always be static. I had never had
> > any trouble with the gcc.dll. If someone cares about create a compiler
> > switch to select between static and shared libgcc.
> 
>         I've never tried this but isn't the option there already?
> 
> gcc-2.95.2 % ./configure --help
> [...]
>      * --enable-shared -- Build shared versions of the C++ runtime
>        libraries if supported --disable-shared is the default.

--enable-shared in gcc 2.95 and earlier affects the C++ runtime only
(and Java runtime, if built).  libgcc is always static.

GCC 3.0 will switch to a shared libgcc, IIRC.  It's not perfect but
rather trades one set of problems for another.  EH is one of the main
considerations.

I don't know how much, if any, of this is applicable to Win32 however. 
Having --enable-shared do the right thing for mingw may require patches,
and it's not clear who is maintaining gcc for mingw these days.

Jeff