# Re: \[PATCH 1/1\] powerpc: Detect broken or mismatched toolchains

- From: Sam Bobroff \<hidden\>
- Date: 2016-02-23 05:00:09 
- List: linuxppc-dev
- Page: https://ratatoskr.run/linuxppc-dev/2016/02/9488363
- Thread: https://ratatoskr.run/linuxppc-dev/2016/02/9488313/t.md

```text
On Mon, Feb 22, 2016 at 08:05:01PM -0600, Scott Wood wrote:
> On Mon, 2016-02-22 at 16:13 +1100, Sam Bobroff wrote:
> > It can currently be difficult to diagnose a build that fails due to
> > the compiler, linker or other parts of the toolchain being unable to
> > build binaries of the type required by the kernel config. For example
> > using a little endian toolchain to build a big endian kernel may
> > produce:
> > 
> > as: unrecognized option '-maltivec'
> > 
> > This patch adds a basic compile test and error message to
> > arch/powerpc/Makefile so that the above error becomes:
> > 
> > *** Sorry, your toolchain seems to be broken or incorrect. ***
> > Make sure it supports your kernel configuration (ppc64).
> > 
> > Signed-off-by: Sam Bobroff <redacted>
> > ---
> 
> How is this more useful than getting to actually see the way in which the
> toolchain (or the CFLAGS) is broken?

My reasoning was that it would be better because it happens at the start of the
build, rather than (possibly) a long way into it, and it indicates that the
problem is the toolchain setup (or config) itself rather than the file it's
trying to compile or link.

But I agree completely with what you're saying. I'll try re-working it in a way
that shows the command that fails and it's output.

Cheers,
Sam.
```