Hello.
Linux kernel is written for compiling with gcc and uses a lot of small and ugly gcc-hacks. Which compilers can compile linux kernel except gcc?
The one, which can, is the Intel Compiler. What minimal version of it is needed for kernel compiling?
There also was a Tiny C compiler, but it was able to compile only reduced and specially edited version of the kernel.
Is there other compilers capable of building kernel?
In short, you cannot, because the kernel code was written to take advantage of the gcc's compiler semantics...and between the kernel and the compiled code, the relationship is a very strong one, i.e. must be compiled with gcc...Since gcc uses 'ELF' (Embedded Linking Format) object files, the kernel must be built using the object code format. Unless you can hack it up to work with another compiler - it may well compile but may not work, as the compilers under Windows produces PE code, there could be unexpected results, meaning the kernel may not boot at all!
Hope this helps, Best regards, Tom.
An outdatet information: you need to patch the kernel in order to compile using the Intel CC Download Linux kernel patch for Intel® Compiler
See also http://stackoverflow.com/questions/689327/is-it-possible-to-compile-linux-kernel-with-something-other-than-gcc for further links and information
On of the most recent sources :http://forums.fedoraforum.org/showthread.php?p=1328718