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Show HN: C-compiler to compile TCC for live-bootstrap
Related: pnut.sh https://github.com/udem-dlteam/pnut just released. It’s a self-compiling C->POSIX shell transpiler that outputs readable shell, aimed at live-bootstrap and reproducible build chains. The shell edition is auditable and can bootstrap a native compiler from just POSIX sh + coreutils. Very much in the spirit of stage0 / compile-from-nothing work.
Bootstapping is so complex, here's 181-step document to compile Linux: from "commented opcodes" in hex0 to assembler with labels, from simple C compiler to ~c89 compiler to tinycc ~c99 compiler, from simple shell to scheme interpreter to Fiwix unix-like kernel.

https://github.com/fosslinux/live-bootstrap/blob/master/part...

I have been reviewing stage0 and gave a presentation, 'reviewing live-bootstrap' about it at WHY2025, in which I also made some suggestions about improving stage0. I am now working on this.

What I refer to as stage0 is the first 19 steps of the mentioned description, which actually involves the execution of over 700 executables. (See presenration for T-diagran.) I believe that number can reduced by at least a half.

Eliminating Mes would be amazing for us in Stagex. Mes is the second longest build in the entire tree (after rust).
At this point I believe running Common Lisp/Scheme from SectorLisp wouldn't be that far off
don't threaten me with a good time
The thing about Mes is that it does riscv64 too. I don't know the current state of the support, but there is something there.

There are still many pieces of riscv64 missing in the whole thing (an equivalent to Fiwix being the most challenging right now), and realistically only x86 is currently viable. I think riscv64 is the next in line though.

Stage 3 or 4 support for the other targets is also planed. This will require some small adaptations to the compiler for 32 to 64 word size and Stack-C versions for those targets.