Linker to use with AsmOne (68000)

[nandius_c]

Hi everyone! I've spent some time today trying to find the easiest way to link more than one file using AsmOne (for the 68000) but I wasn't able to find anything. I have a source file which uses xdef for some routines and another source where I use xref to be able to call those routines.

As far as I know I can't do that with AsmOne, can I? It would be great if someone could just point in the right direction about the easiest way to do this, having into account that, as I said before, I'm programming only for the 68000.

Thanks in advance!

[phx]

"wl" writes a linkable object file, doesn't it?
Then proceed with the linker of your choice.

[nandius_c]

Originally Posted by phx

"wl" writes a linkable object file, doesn't it?
Then proceed with the linker of your choice.

Yes, I knew about the 'wl' command . What I need now is an easy-to-use linker. I found this: http://www.pouet.net/prod.php?which=58703 some time ago but didn't try the included version of vlink compiled for Windows. I will do that right now!

Thanks for your answer .

[DrCinicus]

To call the linker inside AsmPro (should work also on AsmOne), I add these lines at the start of the source:

AUTO wl rad:main.o\
AUTO y c:blink rad:main.o LIB path:somelib.lib\

When you assemble, and there are 'No errors', the first line save the Linkable file, while the second line execute the linker to create the executable file.
In your work you should assemble and write-linkable one of the file, and put a similar command in the other:

AUTO wl rad:main.o\
AUTO y c:blink rad:main.o rad:file1.o TO rad:myexe\

Bye
Fabio

[a4k-oerx]

OT: "AUTO" was one of the many features which made me buy AsmOne 1.02 as one of the few investments in Amiga software at the time it was released by Rune Gram-Madsen. Was far superior to Seka. Even "hacked" a later version, so the editor would work with DoublePAL when I got the A4000. Best tool ever in my Amiga life...

[nandius_c]

Originally Posted by DrCinicus

To call the linker inside AsmPro (should work also on AsmOne), I add these lines at the start of the source:

AUTO wl rad:main.o\
AUTO y c:blink rad:main.o LIB path:somelib.lib\

When you assemble, and there are 'No errors', the first line save the Linkable file, while the second line execute the linker to create the executable file.
In your work you should assemble and write-linkable one of the file, and put a similar command in the other:

AUTO wl rad:main.o\
AUTO y c:blink rad:main.o rad:file1.o TO rad:myexe\

Bye
Fabio

Very useful information, thank you. I've downloaded BLink and I've been doing some tests. I'm not using the AUTO command yet, I'm doing something like this from a shell window, and it's working fine:

blink main.o LIBRARY lib.o TO myexe

First, I tried with something like this:

blink main.o lib.o TO myexe

but it didn't work. Guess it was necessary to specify lib.o as a library.

I understand this is all basic stuff but it's new to me, so... thanks again for your help!

[nandius_c]

I've being doing some tests with AUTO in AsmOne and I haven't been able to make it work completely. These are the first lines of my source file main.s:

AUTO wl main.o\
AUTO y BLink main.o LIBRARY lib.o TO myExe\

BLink, main.o and lib.o are in the current directory. When I assemble the source from AsmOne, the first line is executed and generates the main.o file but the second line always produces an "End of File" message and doesn't generate the myExe file. As I said before, I can execute that BLink command from a Shell window and it works.

Any ideas?

[phx]

Originally Posted by nandius_c

blink main.o LIBRARY lib.o TO myexe

First, I tried with something like this:

blink main.o lib.o TO myexe

but it didn't work. Guess it was necessary to specify lib.o as a library.

Is lib.o a library (i.e. several object files coalesced) or a single object file? In the last case it should work to omit the LIBRARY keyword. Otherwise there is something wrong.

[nandius_c]

Originally Posted by phx

Is lib.o a library (i.e. several object files coalesced) or a single object file? In the last case it should work to omit the LIBRARY keyword. Otherwise there is something wrong.

lib.o is just the result of doing 'wl lib.s' from AsmOne, that is, a single object file. Is it OK using 'wl' if I will use the linker with the file or should I use 'wo'? I'm not sure about what's the difference between those. Anyway, I couldn't make it work without LIBRARY.

Another problem I'm having is with the copperlist. I have a single file, copper.s (attached), which just sets a new copperlist and waits for the left mouse button. If I generate the object file with 'wo copper.o', I can run the exe file from a shell window and it does changes the copperlist and works OK (background color changes to black). BUT, If I do 'wl copper.l' in AsmOne and after that I generate the exe file with 'blink copper.l TO copper', it doesn't work (background color doesn't change). With the WinUAE debugger I see that COP1LC is pointing to an address which is not that of my copperlist. I get the same result from AsmOne if I change 'section data,DATA_C' to 'section data,DATA_F'...

[phx]

Originally Posted by nandius_c

lib.o is just the result of doing 'wl lib.s' from AsmOne, that is, a single object file. Is it OK using 'wl' if I will use the linker with the file or should I use 'wo'? I'm not sure about what's the difference between those.

'wo' writes a directly executable file.
'wl' writes a linkable object file (not executable until linked).

Anyway, I couldn't make it work without LIBRARY.

Maybe a bug. Attach the example object files or send them to me by private mail and I could analyze the problem.

BUT, If I do 'wl copper.l' in AsmOne and after that I generate the exe file with 'blink copper.l TO copper', it doesn't work (background color doesn't change). With the WinUAE debugger I see that COP1LC is pointing to an address which is not that of my copperlist. I get the same result from AsmOne if I change 'section data,DATA_C' to 'section data,DATA_F'...

I tried that with AsmOne 1.49 and can reproduce the problem. A bug in AsmOne. 'wo' seems ok and provides the memory attributes in the executable, but 'wl' does not. Your DATA_C (and DATA_F) is ignored in the object file. That makes AsmOne nearly useless for linking.

[nandius_c]

Originally Posted by phx

'wo' writes a directly executable file.
'wl' writes a linkable object file (not executable until linked).

Maybe a bug. Attach the example object files or send them to me by private mail and I could analyze the problem.

I tried that with AsmOne 1.49 and can reproduce the problem. A bug in AsmOne. 'wo' seems ok and provides the memory attributes in the executable, but 'wl' does not. Your DATA_C (and DATA_F) is ignored in the object file. That makes AsmOne nearly useless for linking.

I'm really surprised about your answer... I like AsmOne, but I've been thinking of trying another assembler and, if you're right, now I have another GOOD reason to do it. I will try with AsmPro tonight and let you know about the results (I guess it will work as DrCinicus already mentioned using the 'wl' command from AsmPro). Thank you so much!

EDIT: I have found this link relating to AsmOne v1.48 with info about errors dealing with sections and the 'wl' command... http://www.theflamearrows.info/documents/asmfuture.html It doesn't seem to be the same problem I'm having, but if v1.47 had such a bug, imagine v1.20 (the one I'm using)...