# GNU/Hurd development updates from Q4 2023

DevFeed: [GNU/Hurd development updates from Q4 2023](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/2023-q4-32743.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<http://www.gnu.org/software/hurd/news/2023-q4.html>)

Published: 2024-01-05T22:22:00Z

Content type: news

Language: en

Sources: [GNU Hurd](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/gnu-hurd.md>)

Topics: [gcc](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/gcc.md>), [Linux](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/linux.md>), [CI/CD](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/cicd.md>), [Testing](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/testing.md>), [qemu](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/qemu.md>), [x86](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/x86.md>), [Kernel](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/kernel.md>), [make](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/make.md>)

Tags: [continuous-integration](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/continuous-integration.md>), [gcc](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/gcc.md>), [kernel](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/kernel.md>), [linux](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/linux.md>), [make](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/make.md>), [qemu](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/qemu.md>), [testing](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/testing.md>), [x86](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/x86.md>)

## AI overview

A quarterly update on GNU/Hurd development describes GCC and GNU Mach improvements, proposed continuous integration, expanded testing across environments, x86_64 build infrastructure, IPC changes, and efforts to improve browser support.

## Source excerpt

Hello! Welcome to a new qoth. This qoth covers new and interesting GNU/Hurd developments in Q4 of 2023! Details. Samuel Thibault fixed gcc's Hurd's default pie and added static pie support. He also added a whatis command to GNU Mach's kernel debugger, which can determine what an address points to (a stack? a port? some kalloc? ...). He also added hurd-amd64 support to GCC. Samuel requested that the Hurd team set up a continuous integration, so that when developers make code changes, they can be certain that they did not break anything. It turns out that the Hurd supports several different environments: 32 bit, 64 bit, 32-on-64 bit, ACPI, non-ACPI, SMP, non-SMP, Xen, etc. Apparently Flavio has a personal CI, but it is set up in a Debian independent way. If you are interested in helping the Hurd project set up a CI, then please get in touch! Luca Dariz worked on adding some simple GNU Mach user-space tests . With a working MiG, a GNU/Linux machine can run make check in the GNU Mach source code, which will launch qemu to ensure that 32 bit (PAE and non PAE), 32 on 64 bit, and full 64 bit GNU Mach works. We currently do this testing on GNU/Linux, because qemu does not run on the Hurd. Many people worked on the Hurd's new x86_64 bit support. A 64-bit debian buildd is set up, and we can bootstrap a chroot! The hurd-amd64 wanna-build infrastructure is also set up. We are having issues reliably building packages on a 64-bit Hurd, which lead Samuel to uncover and fix a proc leak. Flavio Cruz improved GNU Mach's IPC by reordering mach_msg_type_t fields to byte align msgt_name and msgt_size. He also created a patch series to avoid message resizing for x86_64. He also removed untyped mach RPC code. GNU Mach uses typed IPC. The Hurd could support both typed and untyped, but it appears that the Hurd only uses typed RPC. So it seems best to remove any untyped RPC code. Sergey Bugaev added GNU Mach entry re-coalescing support. Essentially, Mach was not always able to merge two vm e