[MLton] x86_64 port status

[Matthew Fluet]

>> Before merging the runtime and Basis Library changes in to HEAD, we
>> would like to ensure that things are too broken on other platforms;
>> I only have easy access to x86-linux and amd64-linux.
>> 
>> It would be very helpful if individuals on other platforms (BSD and
>> Darwin and Solaris particularly) could checkout the x86_64 branch and
>> try to compile the runtime:
>
> I will take a look at ppc osx, mingw, and debian hppa&ppc.

MinGW will probably be pretty broken; I wouldn't start with that one.  But 
thanks for looking at the others.

> Do the changes mean that the c-codegen can handle 64 bit too? ie: if I 
> attempt to port MLton to alpha&ia64, will I have any luck?

Sorry, I should have been a little more clear.  This is all just 
groundwork for modifying the compiler proper (including c-codegen) to 
produce 64-bit executables; at the present time, the compiler is still 
assuming 32-bit pointers.  The next phase of the port will be to make 
these changes to the compiler so that the C-codegen is can target a 64-bit 
platform.  At that point in time, I would expect it to be quite possible 
to port MLton with the C-codegen to alpha and ia64.

> Also, is there a native codegen for amd64 coming too?

That is a few steps removed from the present time.  We will be making the 
minimal changes necessary to the x86 codegen to produce x86_64 assembly, 
but I don't know how well such a minimal port will perform relative to the 
C-codegen and gcc.