Nightly development build 2024-12-09

These binaries are generated automatically whenever the source code changes.

Windows users will most likely want the .exe setup file. This contains x86_64 binaries which will install into C:\ack. It doesn't try to add the binary directory (C:\ack\bin) to the path.

6.0pre5

A new release after a very long hiatus. Supported platforms are:

• pc86; bootable floppy disk images for 8086 PCs
• linux386; ELF executables for PC Linux systems
• linux68k; ELF executables for m68020 Linux systems
• cpm; i80 CP/M .COM files
• rpi; Raspberry Pi GPU binaries

All platforms have a limited system call library. Be prepared to extend this if you want to get real work done.

This version no longer uses Prime Mover as a build system.

6.0pre4

Fixed some minor bit-rotting issues that were preventing compilation on
modern Linux systems.

6.0pre3

Added the cpm platform. Made some optimisations to the i80 code generator,
including getting topgen up and running and adding some peephole optimiser
rules. Fixed loads of bugs in ego so that it now works on platforms that
support it (pc86 and linux386). Made the floating point work on platforms
that support it (pc86 and linux386 again). Made stdint.h work. Lots and lots
of bugfixes and tweaks everywhere.

6.0pre2

Much simplified the syscall interface by disabling libmon and instead
calling the syscalls directly. Disabled the K&R C compiler and libc because
it doesn't actually gain us anything and has a high maintenance load --- the
ANSI C compiler works fine with K&R C. Adapted the rest of the system to
build with the ANSI C compiler. Rewrote the pc86 syscall interface and added
linux386 support, using the i386 code generator. Lots and lots of bugfixes
and tweaks everywhere.

6.0pre1

First working version of the 6.0 release stream. Working frontends: both C compilers, Pascal, Modula-2, Basic and Occam. Working backends: i86. Working platforms: pc86, the very noddy testbed setup that produces floppy disk images.

5.6

This is the last released version before the build system change to Prime Mover. It's really hard and very slow to build, but it will build everything, including the things that don't work. This is very unlikely to work on a modern machine without extensive effort.

5.5 historical

This is the last version before the repository got imported into SourceForge; the binaries are historical releases supplied for interest value.

You are unlikely to want to use this.