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+This is a pre-alpha version of the GNU assembler, version 1.92.3.
+
+(this is a copy of the mail announcement.  Real README follows below.)
+
+This session I merged the m88k support.  It configures, builds, and
+assembles things, including some gcc2 output.  I have no way of
+knowing if the output is right.
+
+I've merged the tahoe support.  It configures and builds.  I couldn't
+build the cygnus version of gcc2 for this machine, so I have no idea
+whether gas is assembling anything at all for it.
+
+I've walked through my bug and patch archives.  Gas now makes a
+tolerable guess at a.out headers for hpux and sequent, although I have
+no way to know if these are right yet.
+
+Ming tran-le's changes for 386aix will probably drop out soon.  He
+needs multiple segments and I don't plan to get that in before the
+real release.
+
+Eric youngdale's help with vms has been invaluable.  According to him,
+this gas is doing vms.  I didn't quite get a cross to vms working and
+don't plan to spend any more time on it.
+
+The gas manual is included in the distribution, configuration, and
+Makefiles.  It should build, be printable, and readable through info.
+
+I have not yet verified that this gas has all of the unreleased
+changes that hack made after the last gas release.  At this point I
+plan to ignore these until those bugs are re-reported in an alpha or
+full release I don't think it's worth my time.
+
+I have not yet verified any hosts other than sun4, although I have
+three-staged sun3 native.
+
+I have not updated the configuration doc.
+
+I do not plan to bring in any new backends for the upcoming release
+unless someone hands them to me on a platter as eric did for vms.  I
+merged the m88k and tahoe ports because they were simple for me at
+this point, but would have been difficult for someone else.  I may yet
+do this for the ncube support as well.
+
+I've looked at the osf stuff and discarded it for this release.  I'm
+not sure I like what they've done for macho object format and without
+macho headers, I can't even build their version.
+
+I've looked at the utah stuff and discarded it for this release.
+They, too, have made some sweeping changes to support their object
+format that I'm not sure were necessary.  In any case, merging this
+would be too much work for me right now.
+
+I've looked at the tron port.  It's remarkably clean and it's a.out
+format.  I don't plan to merge this for the full release for two
+reasons.  First, it's so clean, they will be able to add their stuff
+on top and build a seperate distribution without much trouble.
+Second, I'm get responses from them, and hope that they will be able
+to do the merge.
+
+
+To do before alpha:
+
+* merge patches and address bugs as they arrive.
+
+* kill a remaining bug.  The following input:
+
+	.text
+a	.word	3
+b	.word	4
+c	.half	b-a
+
+kills most risc ports.  I believe that this represents a failing of
+the internal representation of relocs (aka fixS's). The fix is
+relatively straightforward and I intend to make it.
+
+* add autoconf style configuration for hosts (not targets).
+
+* test via three-staging (preferably with gcc2) on all a.out based
+  machines to which I have access.
+
+* update/clean out README's and build a brief porting guide.
+
+There is still a copyright issue on the coff back end, so it may need
+to be pulled for the full release.  If this gets resolved, I hope to
+see coff run personally on at least one native machine before full
+release.
+
+
+Real README:
+
+This is a pre-alpha version of the GNU assembler, version 1.92.3.
+
+A number of things have changed and the wonderful world of gas looks
+very different.  There's still a lot of irrelevant garbage lying
+around that will be cleaned up soon.  The gas manual now builds and
+installs, but internal documentation is still scarce, as are logs of
+the changes made since the last gas release.  My apologies, and I'll
+try to get something useful
+
+At this point I believe gas to be ansi only code for most target
+cpu's.  That is, there should be relatively few, if any host system
+dependencies.  Most of my recent effort has been spent testing and
+dusting off ports for which Cygnus hasn't had recent need.
+
+Hosting has recently been tested on only:
+
+	sun4
+	sun3
+
+I believe that gas can currently be targetted for:
+
+	sun4
+	sun3
+
+and "ports" for other cpu's and object file formats from the following
+set are probably trivial at this point:
+
+	a.out
+
+	a29k
+	i386
+	i860
+	i960
+	m68k
+	m88k
+	ns32k
+	tahoe
+	sparc
+	vax
+
+I have tested most of these in "generic" a.out configurations so I
+feel pretty confident in them.  If anything else works, it's an
+accident.
+
+Some ports now generate object files that are somewhat differently
+shaped, but should be more correct.  Specifically:
+
+* Most a.out ports now sort the relocation table in numerically
+  ascending order.  In previous versions of gas, the relocation table
+  was sorted in descending order.  To get the previous functionality,
+  compile with -DREVERSE_SORT_RELOCS.
+
+* ns32k: The last gas I have from hack simply looks broken for ns32k.
+  I think this one works, but don't have an assembler that I trust
+  against which to compare.
+
+* i386: now uses ".align x" to mean x bytes rather than 2^x bytes.  It
+  also pads with the noop instruction rather than zeroes.
+
+In all cases, compiling with -DOLD_GAS will produce an assembler that
+should produce object files that are bitwise identical to the previous
+version of gas.
+
+
+
+			    NEW FEATURES!
+
+
+This isn't a complete catalog.  I've forgotten what all has been done.
+
+* support for i960, a29k, m88k, and tahoe.
+
+* support for 68030 and 68040, including the ability to limit the
+  instructions that gas will accept.  ie, you can assemble for EXACTLY
+  68000 and no more.
+
+* object file formats have been broken out into separate backends.
+
+* a new "backend" has been created to represent the target
+  environment.  That is, gas now mimics various other assemblers
+  rather than creating it's own requirements.  A side effect of this
+  is that this version of gas may not behave the same way as previous
+  versions.
+
+* ansi.  gas is now strictly ansi code so host ports should be
+  trivial.
+
+
+
+			REPORTING BUGS IN GAS
+
+
+Bugs in THIS RELEASE of gas should be reported directly to
+rich@cygnus.com.  NOT to bug-gnu-utils@prep.ai.mit.edu.
+
+If you report a bug in GAS, please remember to include:
+
+A description of exactly what went wrong.
+
+How GAS was configured,
+
+The Operating System GAS was running under.
+
+The options given to GAS.
+
+The actual input file that caused the problem.
+
+It is silly to report a bug in GAS without including an input file for
+GAS.  Don't ask us to generate the file just because you made it from
+files you think we have access to.
+
+1. You might be mistaken.
+2. It might take us a lot of time to install things to regenerate that file.
+3. We might get a different file from the one you got, and might not see any
+bug.
+
+To save us these delays and uncertainties, always send the input file
+for the program that failed.
+
+If the input file is very large, and you are on the internet, you may
+want to make it avaliable for anonymous FTP instead of mailing it.  If you
+do, include instructions for FTP'ing it in your bug report.