[RFC] minimum gcc version for kernel: raise to gcc-4.3 or 4.6?

[Maciej W. Rozycki]

On Fri, 21 Apr 2017, Kees Cook wrote:

> > The linux-4.2 x86 defconfig could still be built with gcc-4.0, but
> > later kernels have several minor problems with that, and
> > require at least gcc-4.3.
> >
> > If we are ok with this status quo, we could simply declare gcc-4.3
> > the absolute minimum version for the kernel, make gcc-4.9
> > the recommeded minimum version, and remove all workarounds
> > for gcc-4.2 or older.
> 
> I think starting with this would be a good first step. I'm not sure
> the best way to add "recommended minimum" to
> Documentation/process/changes.rst hmmm

 FWIW for some reasons (mainly the ability to avoid NPTL) I have stuck to 
GCC 4.1.2 with some MIPS configurations and I've had no issues with that 
compiler up to Linux 4.6.0, which is the last kernel version I have tried 
with that compiler so far.  I could check if anything has regressed since 
then I suppose.

  Maciej