[Info-vax] c 7.3 - Why MAYLOSEDATA3 for long pointer math?

[Steven Schweda]

> [...] a compiler bug that was fixed with an ECO. [...]

   That's nice, but it doesn't help me if, as a lowly
hobbyist, I can't get the ECO.  Does the Alpha C compiler in
the current hobbyist collection have the fix?  ("HP C
V7.3-009 on OpenVMS Alpha V8.3" does not.)

> [...] Surely open-source software isn't chocked full of
> conditionals to work around platform or tool bugs?

   There may be some, depending on the program, but
maintainers typically prefer to avoid such clutter.  Which is
why dealing with defects like these can be so painful.