====== Installing the Simplescalar compiler toolchain ======

Get the precompiled binaries ssgcc.tbz from here: [[http://www.eecg.toronto.edu/~moshovos/ACA/SStools/|SS Toolchains]].
Launch a cygwin32 terminal. Do the following:

''cd /usr/local/;
bunzip2 -c /pathto/ssgcc.tbz | tar xvf -
''
This will unpack the binaries and libraries under /usr/local/ss. The binaries are under /usr/local/ss/v3/bin. Look for the files starting with //sslittle-na-sstrix-//.

For example, the gcc compiler for the PISA instruction set we will be using is the ///usr/local/ss/v3/sslittle-na-sstrix-gcc//.

Test that the compiler works:

''cd ~; 
mkdir ACA;
cd ACA
''

Create a c file, say //hello.c//, containing a simple printf. Something like this:

''#include <stdio.h>\\
\\
main()\\
{\\
printf ("hello\n");\\
}\\
''

Then compile it:

''/usr/local/ss/v3/sslittle-na-sstrix-gcc -O hello.c -o hello''

Check if things look alright:

''file hello''

Should return:

''hello: MIPSEL ECOFF executable (paged) not stripped - version 2.11''

Also do this:

''/usr/local/ss/v3/sslittle-na-sstrix-gcc -S hello.c''

It should generate a file //hello.s//. Open it and it should be assembly for PISA (looks nearly identical to MIPS).

Another very useful tool is //ss...-objdump//. It allows you to inspect binary files such as object files and executables. You can use it for example to find our which virtual address a function or a variable has been mapped.

Try this command:

''/usr/local/ss/v3/bin/sslittle-na-sstrix-objdump  --syms hello > hello.syms''

Look in //hello.syms// to find all the symbols that are defined. You should be able to find _main in there, the address where your main function has been compiled to.