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Making a C compiler in Rust (was: Re: Resources to learn common lisp?)

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  Making a C compiler in Rust (was: Re: Resources to learn common lisp?) Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson <johann@myrkraverk.invalid> - 2026-08-21 13:06 +0800
    Re: Making a C compiler in Rust (was: Re: Resources to learn common lisp?) "Kerr-Mudd, John" <admin@127.0.0.1> - 2026-08-21 11:34 +0100
      Re: Making a C compiler in Rust (was: Re: Resources to learn common lisp?) Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2026-08-21 14:13 +0300
        Re: Making a C compiler in Rust Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson <johann@myrkraverk.invalid> - 2026-08-22 02:23 +0800

#4566 — Making a C compiler in Rust (was: Re: Resources to learn common lisp?)

On 05/08/2026 10:26 AM, steve g wrote:
> Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson <johann@myrkraverk.invalid> writes:
> 
>> On 01/08/2026 6:46 AM, Lawrence D’Oliveiro wrote:
>>> On Fri, 31 Jul 2026 12:21:51 -0300, Anton Antimo wrote:
>>>
>>>> Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson <johann@myrkraverk.invalid> writes:
>>>>
>>>>> The tragedy is not using Common Lisp for everything.
>>>>
>>>> I loved this bit and I have a feeling you're correct.
>>> What a dumb idea. Common Lisp is full of legacy baggage to cater to
>>> proprietary pre-POSIX OSes which are now extinct.
>>
>> As always, you start off by mouthing your own ignorance.
>>
>> * OpenVMS is both sold and ported to the x86.  https://vmssoftware.com/
> 
> I am actually glad to heear this! the women of the 70's loved these
> things :)
> 
> 
>> * OS/2 is being sold and supported, under a new brand name.
>>    https://www.arcanoae.com/
> 
> not the best solution in the world but it did/does work.
> I still think that PC-DOS was worth it's weight. Automatic IRQ, DMA,
> HIGHMEM managment all automated. Wow!
> 
> 

Dear steve g,

Thank you for that reminder.  I keep forgetting to install my copy of PC
DOS 2000, completely legally obtained from a 2nd hand store of an I.B.M.
customer.  It was even still sealed, if I remember correctly.  But I op-
ened it, because I mean to use it.

I've added alt.lang.asm, comp.os.msdos.programmer, to this discussion
for the I.B.M. PC is, and has always been, best coded in assembly.  At
least, the original B.I.O.S. was, and the 32bit machines still sold pro-
bably still have their B.I.O.Ses coded in assembly too.

Plus, I have several good books on D.O.S. assembly coding on my shelf, I
should use them!

It'll be a good exercise between coding a C compiler in Rust, so I have
added comp.lang.misc to this discussion, since I am completely unaware
of a group dedicated to Rust.  How would we make one?

If you find yourself so inclined to make another C compiler in Rust, or
even Common Lisp, then the book

              /Writing a C Compiler/,
   /Build a Real Programming Language from Scratch/

by Nora Sandler is not at all recommended.  I'm going through it, but I
feel it should be much better.  At least the exercises are amusing!


Have fun, and please enjoy this minor tangent in our discussion!
-- 
Johann | email: invalid -> com | http://www.myrkraverk.com/blog/
I'm not from the Internet, I just work there. | via Easynews.com
https://bsky.app/profile/myrkraverk.bsky.social | for ( ;; ) _:;

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#4570

On Fri, 21 Aug 2026 13:06:42 +0800
Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson <johann@myrkraverk.invalid> wrote:

> On 05/08/2026 10:26 AM, steve g wrote:
> > Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson <johann@myrkraverk.invalid> writes:
> > 
> >> On 01/08/2026 6:46 AM, Lawrence D’Oliveiro wrote:
> >>> On Fri, 31 Jul 2026 12:21:51 -0300, Anton Antimo wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson <johann@myrkraverk.invalid> writes:
> >>>>
> >>>>> The tragedy is not using Common Lisp for everything.
> >>>>
> >>>> I loved this bit and I have a feeling you're correct.
> >>> What a dumb idea. Common Lisp is full of legacy baggage to cater to
> >>> proprietary pre-POSIX OSes which are now extinct.
> >>
> >> As always, you start off by mouthing your own ignorance.
> >>
> >> * OpenVMS is both sold and ported to the x86.  https://vmssoftware.com/
> > 
> > I am actually glad to heear this! the women of the 70's loved these
> > things :)
> > 
> > 
> >> * OS/2 is being sold and supported, under a new brand name.
> >>    https://www.arcanoae.com/
> > 
> > not the best solution in the world but it did/does work.
> > I still think that PC-DOS was worth it's weight. Automatic IRQ, DMA,
> > HIGHMEM managment all automated. Wow!
> > 
> > 
> 
> Dear steve g,
> 
> Thank you for that reminder.  I keep forgetting to install my copy of PC
> DOS 2000, completely legally obtained from a 2nd hand store of an I.B.M.
> customer.  It was even still sealed, if I remember correctly.  But I op-
> ened it, because I mean to use it.
> 
> I've added alt.lang.asm, comp.os.msdos.programmer, to this discussion
> for the I.B.M. PC is, and has always been, best coded in assembly.  At
> least, the original B.I.O.S. was, and the 32bit machines still sold pro-
> bably still have their B.I.O.Ses coded in assembly too.
> 
> Plus, I have several good books on D.O.S. assembly coding on my shelf, I
> should use them!
> 
> It'll be a good exercise between coding a C compiler in Rust, so I have
> added comp.lang.misc to this discussion, since I am completely unaware
> of a group dedicated to Rust.  How would we make one?
> 
> If you find yourself so inclined to make another C compiler in Rust, or
> even Common Lisp, then the book
> 
>               /Writing a C Compiler/,
>    /Build a Real Programming Language from Scratch/
> 
> by Nora Sandler is not at all recommended.  I'm going through it, but I
> feel it should be much better.  At least the exercises are amusing!
> 
> 
> Have fun, and please enjoy this minor tangent in our discussion!

I don't know of any attempts to port (I guess a subset at best) Lisp
or Rust to DOS. And I don't think there's many willing to try it in asm.
BICBW! 
-- 
Bah, and indeed, Humbug

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#4571

On Fri, 21 Aug 2026 11:34:38 +0100
"Kerr-Mudd, John" <admin@127.0.0.1> wrote:

> On Fri, 21 Aug 2026 13:06:42 +0800
> Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson <johann@myrkraverk.invalid> wrote:
> 
> > 
> > Plus, I have several good books on D.O.S. assembly coding on my
> > shelf, I should use them!
> > 
> > It'll be a good exercise between coding a C compiler in Rust, so I
> > have added comp.lang.misc to this discussion, since I am completely
> > unaware of a group dedicated to Rust.  How would we make one?
> > 
> > If you find yourself so inclined to make another C compiler in
> > Rust, or even Common Lisp, then the book
> > 
> >               /Writing a C Compiler/,
> >    /Build a Real Programming Language from Scratch/
> > 
> > by Nora Sandler is not at all recommended.  I'm going through it,
> > but I feel it should be much better.  At least the exercises are
> > amusing!
> > 
> > 
> > Have fun, and please enjoy this minor tangent in our discussion!  
> 
> I don't know of any attempts to port (I guess a subset at best) Lisp
> or Rust to DOS. And I don't think there's many willing to try it in
> asm. BICBW! 

I would not be so sure about *attempts* to port Rust to DOS.
But It sounds certain that there were no successful ports.
Although I can imagine cross-compiler running on one of the popular
LLVM hosts with DOS as a target. May be, not for a full Rust, but for
useful subset. It's not impossible, just pointless.

Now, Lisp is a different story. There were/are many working Lisp systems
running on MS-DOS.

https://www.reddit.com/r/lisp/comments/1c3qdos/lisp_implementation_for_16_bit_dos_pcs/

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#4572 — Re: Making a C compiler in Rust

On 21/08/2026 7:13 PM, Michael S wrote:
> On Fri, 21 Aug 2026 11:34:38 +0100
> "Kerr-Mudd, John" <admin@127.0.0.1> wrote:
> 
>> On Fri, 21 Aug 2026 13:06:42 +0800
>> Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson <johann@myrkraverk.invalid> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> Plus, I have several good books on D.O.S. assembly coding on my
>>> shelf, I should use them!
>>>
>>> It'll be a good exercise between coding a C compiler in Rust, so I
>>> have added comp.lang.misc to this discussion, since I am completely
>>> unaware of a group dedicated to Rust.  How would we make one?
>>>
>>> If you find yourself so inclined to make another C compiler in
>>> Rust, or even Common Lisp, then the book
>>>
>>>                /Writing a C Compiler/,
>>>     /Build a Real Programming Language from Scratch/
>>>
>>> by Nora Sandler is not at all recommended.  I'm going through it,
>>> but I feel it should be much better.  At least the exercises are
>>> amusing!
>>>
>>>
>>> Have fun, and please enjoy this minor tangent in our discussion!
>>
>> I don't know of any attempts to port (I guess a subset at best) Lisp
>> or Rust to DOS. And I don't think there's many willing to try it in
>> asm. BICBW!
> 
> I would not be so sure about *attempts* to port Rust to DOS.
> But It sounds certain that there were no successful ports.
> Although I can imagine cross-compiler running on one of the popular
> LLVM hosts with DOS as a target. May be, not for a full Rust, but for
> useful subset. It's not impossible, just pointless.

Indeed it is pointless.  I've not met any D.O.S. programmer who's shown
a mild interest in Rust on the platform.  People use Open Watcom, Bor-
land, and other trademarked compilers for whatever projects they have
set their mind to.

Here in comp.lang.lisp I'd be happy to guide anyone undertaking a C com-
piler project in Common Lisp.  Alternatively, Rust compiler, but I can't
guide anyone in that endeavour.

> 
> Now, Lisp is a different story. There were/are many working Lisp systems
> running on MS-DOS.
> 
> https://www.reddit.com/r/lisp/comments/1c3qdos/lisp_implementation_for_16_bit_dos_pcs/
> 
> 

Yes.  Christian Queinnec even mentions a few in his book /Principes
d'Implantation de Scheme et Lisp/, originally published in 1994.

At the time -- when I was reading the book, that was after 1994 -- I was
unable to find a working copy of many of these Lisps, so I let it go.

I now try to focus exclusively on Common Lisp as a practical medium of
my coding adventures.


Now, stepping inside comp.os.msdos.programmer, I wonder if it would be
hard to implement a Common Lisp from scratch, for D.O.S?
-- 
Johann | email: invalid -> com | http://www.myrkraverk.com/blog/
I'm not from the Internet, I just work there. | via Easynews.com
https://bsky.app/profile/myrkraverk.bsky.social | for ( ;; ) _:;

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