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momo

Reputation: 1122

Is it possible to use a different gcc version inside a Conda environment?

I have to install a package (spatial-correlation-sampler) which calls for gcc: >=5.3. On my system (Linux, remote server), gcc version is 4.8.5, and a Conda virtual environment uses the same version. Is it possible to use a different version within the virtual environment?

Upvotes: 2

Views: 10725

Answers (1)

Basile Starynkevitch
Basile Starynkevitch

Reputation: 1

Is it possible to use a different gcc version inside a Conda environment?

Probably yes, except if you (or your Conda environment) needs or uses some GCC plugin. These plugins are specific to a particular version of GCC: a plugin coded for GCC 4.8 (such as my old GCC MELT) won't work with GCC 6. But see also this draft report on Bismon (which might become a successor to GCC MELT).

On Linux/x86-64, a C code compiled with GCC 4.8 would be compatible with the same code compiled with GCC 10, since both follow the same ABI and calling conventions.

For C++ code compiled with GCC, there could be subtle ABI or calling conventions incompatibilities (related to name mangling and exceptions).

Be also aware that Python 2 and Python 3 have different foreign function interfaces. Read chapters related to extending and embedding the Python interpreter.

See also the Program Library HowTo, Advanced Linux Programming and C++ dlopen mini-HowTo and Linux Assembly HowTo and of course Linux From Scratch.

On my system (Linux, remote server), gcc version is 4.8.5

GCC is Free Software.

You are allowed to compile and install a more recent GCC from its source code on your system. An installed GCC 4.8 can be use to build e.g. a GCC 8 from its source code (then installed into /usr/local/bin/gcc, then you just configure wisely your $PATH variable). You could even do that with the unsupported GCC 5.

On recent Debian or Ubuntu you would install dependencies with something like sudo aptitude build-dep g++ and you might also want to use Docker. You may need to download several gigabytes.

Some companies or freelancers are able (for a fee) to compile a GCC tailored for your system. I know AdaCore, but there are many others corporations or freelancers selling support on GCC. Contact me by email for more.

PS. On a powerful AMD Threadripper 2970WX desktop, I just built GCC 10.1 with make -j8 and g++ 9.3 on Debian/Sid in 10:21.38 elapsed time, requiring less than 7 Gbytes of disk space (for both GCC source code and object files). Of course, I disabled the compiler bootstrap. You could do the same thru ssh to your system (it could take an hour or two of elapsed time, because a Linux VPS has less cores so you might need to just make -j2).

Upvotes: 2

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