Which GDC to download?

[Johannes Pfau via Digitalmars-d-learn]

Am Thu, 01 Oct 2015 12:04:38 +0000
schrieb NX <nightmarex1337 at hotmail.com>:

> Windows X86 64bit (x86_64-w64-mingw32)
> 
> Standard builds
> Target			DMDFE		Runtime
> GCC	GDC revision	Build Date arm-linux-gnueabi
> 2.066.1	yes	5.2.0		dadb5a3784
> 2015-08-30 arm-linux-gnueabihf	2.066.1	yes
> 5.2.0		dadb5a3784	2015-08-30
> x86_64-w64-mingw32	2.066.1	yes
> 5.2.0		dadb5a3784	2015-08-30
> 
> I'm totally confused about what does these mean:
> 
> 1) Why there is a download targeting arm-linux-gnueabi(hf) and 
> what exactly it means? Is this a cross-compiler which will 
> produce obj files containing ARM instructions or what? If so, 
> will linking just work? and how?

Linking only works for libraries which are included with the cross
compiler. That usually means only the C/C++/D standard libraries will
be available. You can link to other libraries with a cross-compiler, but
you need to provides these libraries in some way:

http://wiki.dlang.org/GDC/Cross_Compiler
http://wiki.dlang.org/GDC/Cross_Compiler/Existing_Sysroot
http://wiki.dlang.org/GDC/Cross_Compiler/Existing_Sysroot#Using_a_compiler_from_gdcproject.org.2Fdownloads

For more information:
http://build-gdc.readthedocs.org/en/latest/Cross-Compiler%20Basics/

> 
> 2) Is what I understand from "cross-compiler" correct? (a 
> compiler that can target different architectures than the host 
> architecture it's compiled for)
> 
> 3) Which one to choose if I just want to write & compile windows 
> programs?
> 

Adding to Adams answer I guess we (the GDC team) have to somehow
present 'native compilers' more prominently.

> 4) x86_64-w64-mingw32 is commented as "Unsupported alpha build. 
> SEH"? is that means windows-targeting version of the compiler is 
> highly unstable/not ready yet? What's "SEH"?

Unfortunately Windows GDC builds are very unstable right now. I'd
recommend using DMD or LDC for Windows.