Gregory's Server@mhoye On the one hand I agree that the error messages are unhelpful here and, if we were a gcc dev, we could set off on working on this.
On the other hand, I think that (gestures to mountain of even worse unix and C diagnostics, docs, and even conceptual structures) realistically isn't going to have a dent put in it in our lifetimes. Too much sunk cost, too much compatibility burden, too much else competing for attention of the people working in that space.
I think there's a way to approach it as a historical expedition, where you accept it on its own terms and adapt yourself as you would if learning to build a shelter out of sticks or whatever; and there's a way to deal with it by mere avoidance; and definitely a constructive thing for those of us with the scar tissue to do (produce more appropriate tools that function at a similar level). But I think the "retrofit in place" approach is potentially even more work than that, and will produce worse results.
@graydon yeah. We’ll get to the point where this is understood as a load-bearing archaeology exercise, I think, that yes there’s lead in the pipes and asbestos in the walls and you don’t even wanna know how big those roaches are, but _some_ of these pipes still bring people drinkable water and heating, and here are the skills and tools you need to work safely in this environment, but we’re not building anything new like this ever, whatever those weird PDP-11 Reenactment Society people say.