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+If you read this file _as_is_, just ignore the funny characters you
+see.  It is written in the POD format (see pod/perlpod.pod) which is
+specifically designed to be readable as is.
+
+=head1 NAME
+
+README.irix - Perl version 5 on Irix systems
+
+=head1 DESCRIPTION
+
+This document describes various features of Irix that will affect how Perl
+version 5 (hereafter just Perl) is compiled and/or runs.
+
+=head2 Building 32-bit
+
+Use
+
+	sh Configure -Dcc='cc -n32'
+
+to compile Perl 32-bit.  Don't bother with -n32 unless you have 7.1
+or later compilers (use cc -version to check).
+
+(Building 'cc -n32' is the default.)
+
+=head2 Building 64-bot
+
+Use
+	
+	sh Configure -Dcc='cc -64'
+
+to compiler Perl 64-bit.
+
+=head2 About Compiler Versions
+
+Some IRIX cc versions, e.g. 7.3.1.1m (try cc -version) have been known
+to have issues (coredumps) when compiling perl.c.  If you've used
+-OPT:fast_io=ON and this happens, try removing it.  If that fails, or
+you didn't use that, then try adjusting other optimization options
+(-LNO, -INLINE, -O3 to -O2, etcetera).  The compiler bug has been
+reported to SGI.  (Allen Smith <easmith@beatrice.rutgers.edu>)
+
+=head2 Linker Problems
+
+If you get complaints about so_locations then search in the file
+hints/irix_6.sh for "lddflags" and do the suggested adjustments.
+(David Billinghurst <David.Billinghurst@riotinto.com.au>)
+
+=head2 Malloc
+
+Do not try to use Perl's malloc, this will lead into very mysterious
+errors (especially with -Duse64bitall).
+
+=head2 Building with threads
+
+For IRIX 6.2, you have to have the following patches installed:
+
+        1404 Irix 6.2 Posix 1003.1b man pages
+        1645 IRIX 6.2 & 6.3 POSIX header file updates
+        2000 Irix 6.2 Posix 1003.1b support modules
+        2254 Pthread library fixes
+        2401 6.2 all platform kernel rollup
+
+IMPORTANT: Without patch 2401, a kernel bug in IRIX 6.2 will cause
+your machine to panic and crash when running threaded perl.  IRIX 6.3
+and later are okay.
+
+=head1 AUTHOR
+
+Jarkko Hietaniemi <jhi@iki.fi>
+
+Please report any errors, updates, or suggestions to F<perlbug@perl.org>.
+