CHANGES SINCE LAST POST:
- Alpha ld now works.  All ELF-wide tools tested and working.

I want to import binutils 2.9.1 into src/gnu/dist.  However, I need your
help to test out various architectures for which I've merged the various
changes we have for binutils 2.8.1.

The diffball to be used with `patch' against a vanilla binutils distribution
can be found at:

    ftp://ftp.duh.org/pub/NetBSD-hacks/binutils-2.9.1.diff.gz

with the addendum patch(es) that should be applied after the above:

    ftp://ftp.duh.org/pub/NetBSD-hacks/elf64-alpha.c.diff

Grab the binutils tarball, extract, and patch with the above.  Then run JUST
"./configure" (it SHOULD guess the arch properly) and compile.  To test,
install the appropriate programs directly into /usr/bin (you don't need to
install ldscripts right now).  Make sure not to install anything listed
below as "Not implemented", and keep a backup copy of ALL tools to be
tested.  If testing gas or ld, be exhaustive--for gas, build PIC code; for
ld, build shlibs and use them.

Below lists what architectures and particular programs have been tested or
need testing.  "objcopy" also covers "strip".  You'll note a prominent
addition to the list:  powerpc, which needed 2.9.1 in order to function
(and _may_ need more patches than what I have to work--can someone fill me 
in?).

I have tested i386 and alpha, and plan on testing sparc and arm32, but you
can feel free to beat me to it.

ARCH    PROGRAM   STATUS
(all)   addr2line Working
(all)   c++filt   Working
(a.out) ar        Working
(a.out) nm        Working
(a.out) ranlib    Working
(a.out) size      Working
(a.out) strings   Working
(ELF)   ar        Working
(ELF)   nm        Working
(ELF)   ranlib    Working
(ELF)   size      Working
(ELF)   strings   Working
alpha   gas       Working
alpha   gdb-4.16  Not tested with binutils-2.9.1 bfd
alpha   ld        Working
alpha   objdump   Working
alpha   objcopy   Working
arm32   gas       *NOT WORKING* on PIC code
arm32   gdb-4.16  Not tested with binutils-2.9.1 bfd
arm32   ld        Not implemented
arm32   objdump   Not tested
arm32   objcopy   Not tested
i386    gas       Working
i386    gdb-4.16  Not tested with binutils-2.9.1 bfd
i386    ld        Not implemented
i386    objdump   Working
i386    objcopy   Working
m68k    gas       Not implemented
m68k    gdb-4.16  Not tested with binutils-2.9.1 bfd
m68k    ld        Not implemented
m68k    objdump   Not tested
m68k    objcopy   Not tested
mipseb  gas       Not tested
mipseb  gdb-4.16  Not tested with binutils-2.9.1 bfd
mipseb  ld        Not tested
mipseb  objdump   Not tested
mipseb  objcopy   Not tested
mipsel  gas       Not tested
mipsel  gdb-4.16  Not tested with binutils-2.9.1 bfd
mipsel  ld        Not tested
mipsel  objdump   Not tested
mipsel  objcopy   Not tested
ns32k   gas       Not implemented
ns32k   gdb-4.16  Not tested with binutils-2.9.1 bfd
ns32k   ld        Not implemented
ns32k   objdump   Not tested
ns32k   objcopy   Not tested
powerpc gas       Not tested
powerpc gdb-4.16  Not tested with binutils-2.9.1 bfd
powerpc ld        Not tested
powerpc objdump   Not tested
powerpc objcopy   Not tested
sparc   gas       Not tested
sparc   gdb-4.16  Not tested with binutils-2.9.1 bfd
sparc   ld        Not implemented
sparc   objdump   Not tested
sparc   objcopy   Not tested
sparc64 gas       Not tested
sparc64 gdb-4.16  Not tested with binutils-2.9.1 bfd
sparc64 ld        Not tested
sparc64 objdump   Not tested
sparc64 objcopy   Not tested
vax     gas       Not tested
vax     gdb-4.16  Not tested with binutils-2.9.1 bfd
vax     ld        Not implemented
vax     objdump   Not tested
vax     objcopy   Not tested

-- 
-- Todd Vierling (Personal tv@pobox.com; Bus. todd_vierling@xn.xerox.com)