The Amsterdam Compiler Kit

The Amsterdam Compiler Kit, or just ACK for short, is a really cool compiler suite and toolchain. It’s super fast, lightweight, and can work with different systems. Created by Andrew Tanenbaum and Ceriel Jacobs, ACK was the go-to toolchain for Minix. Initially, it was closed-source, but in April 2003, it became open-source under a BSD license. How great is that?

What Makes ACK Special?

So what makes ACK stand out? For starters, it uses an intermediate byte-code language called EM. This means that each language front-end creates EM object files that go through various optimizers before turning into native machine code. It's pretty neat!

Understanding EM Language

Unlike gcc's intermediate language, EM is actually a programming language itself! It's even capable of being implemented in hardware. Some of the front-end languages have libraries built using EM assembly. Plus, EM has a high-level stack-based machine setup.

Tools Included with ACK

A standout feature of ACK is its interpreter that can run EM binaries safely and effectively. If you’re curious to learn more about this cool feature, check out the download page here.

Linker and Librarian Features

The toolkit also includes a generic linker and librarian designed to handle files in its own a.out-based format. This means it can work with both EM code and native machine code! However, if you want to link them together, you'll need to convert the EM binary first.

How to Install ACK

If you're ready to give ACK a try, you’ll first need to download the source package and compile it on your system.

Installation Tips

The latest version (5.6) works well on Linux but hasn’t been fully tested yet. The installation process might seem tricky at first glance but just follow the instructions closely! Be sure to read the README file; it's got all the info you need for compiling step-by-step.

What’s New in This Release?

• Support for generating CP/M binaries using an 8080 code generator has been added.


• The optimizers have been improved for better performance across all platforms.


• A basic peephole optimizer is now available for the 8080.


• The floating-point system works smoothly on pc86 and linux386 platforms!


• There’s better ANSI compatibility along with reduced binary sizes plus numerous bug fixes all around!