Ralf Baechle wrote:

-msym32 and previously the strategy to tell the compiler to generate 64-bit
code but the assembler to put it into 32-bit ELF was initially a hack
to get around the lack of proper 64-bit binutils support and later 
turned into a neat optimization with significant code size savings.  But
it's really just an optimization so there is nothing wrong with just
dropping the option (and whatever else goes along with it, I forgot all
the nasty details) on the floor if due to a vintage compiler it can't be
suported.

ok, I'll send a patch to reflect that.

		Franck