https://downloads.haskell.org/~ghc/6.4.2/docs/html/building/sec-porting-ghc.html#sec-booting-from-hc

> < mspo> Bootstrapping GHC on a system without GHC already installed is achieved by taking the intermediate C files (known as HC  
>              files) from another GHC compilation, compiling them using gcc to get a working GHC.  
> < dh> that is no longer supported.  
> < dh> or rather, that's what's no longer supported  
> < mspo> that is "kristerw's gcc 6.4.2 bootstrap kit"  

> < mspo> dh: what about building with a first-party ghc under linux emulation?  
> < mspo> https://downloads.haskell.org/~ghc/7.8.3/  
> < dh> I dunno  

> < dh> mspo: for ghc, to begin with, install lang/ghc (ghc 6.8) and try packaging 6.12  
> < dh> you need an i386 chroot for this, and it's a large slow build, but it's otherwise mostly ok  
> < dh> if you set it up so it'll build from an already-installed ghc 6.8, that's a good starting point  
> < dh> I have some stuff I can send you regarding how to rig it out for using a binary package as a bootstrap kit  
> < dh> meanwhile, I need to commit a gcc64 package (the ghc from the existing "source" bootstrap kit)  
> < dh> and a ghc68 package that's equivalent to the current lang/ghc but uses ghc64  
> < dh> both of these I have most of the work already done  
> < dh> then ideally we hack things so they can all be installed at once, debug ghc612, and then work on the most recent 7.x that  
            still builds on 6.12  
> < dh> packaging all the versions means binary bootstrap kits become less critical because anyone can make one  
> < dh> also, in the above s/gcc/ghc/g, fingers have "gcc" wired in  
> < dh> the idea is to have each ghc package support building either from a binary package of an older version, a binary package   
            of itself, an installed older version, or an installed itself  
> < mspo> dh: got it (I think)  
> < mspo> dh: I'm a littls scared about trying to make the jump to 64bit  
> < dh> and at some point we want to figure out ... that  
> < dh> but let's make i386-netbsd work first  
> < dh> using a 32-bit chroot for haskell is annoying but it's not critical