libxul compilation problem

[Robert Bonomi]

> Date: Mon, 18 Oct 2010 08:28:15 +0200
> From: Fernando_Apesteguia <fernando.apesteguia at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: libxul compilation problem
>
>
> I still refuse to think 1GB is low ;) though I could be wrong.

One gig of RAM is not the problem.  1.25 gig total of VM _is_.

I have some stuff I run on an *OLD* (next year it will be old enough to vote :)
80486 box with only 96 megs or actual RAM, but 2gig of VM.

"Compiling" is a complicated process, all the more so with the features that
have been added to the languages over the years. *and* the need to support
multiple character sets, -especially- those that don't fit in an 8-bit
enumerationn.  these tHings, along with improvements in code optimization
techniques, have combined to radically increae the footprint that a language
compiler requires these days. 

Factor in the increasing size of the applicaiton modules themselves, and
it should be -no- surprise that compilation of an app of significant 
complexity has a large memory footprint.   I've got a FBSD 7.2 box that
shows 80 megs of 'actively used' VM with the basic system services running.
I've got a -dinosaur- running a *BSD releae from th prior century, running
a the same stuff, -plus- a webserver, in only 16 megs of active memory.

'code bloat' is a fact of life.