All the arduino and esp32 etc for the AVR chip seems to use GCC. As AVR-g++ is soon to be depreciated should I start the learning curve for arduino or is there another option?
If I install GCC today how long can I ignore updates and still function? Should I look to another chipset?
Arduino has always been supporting the most common boards a very long time.
With version V11 in 2021, the GCC AVR support might stop. However, the Arduino IDE 1.8.11 is using avr-gcc version 7.3.0.
It might take years before the final version V10 is used. Perhaps V10 will be enough for the next 10 years. Maybe by then, there is a fresh support for AVR microcontrollers.
The AVR microcontrollers are not old and outdated. For example the new megaAVR core has been added recently.
If we build something with an Arduino Uno today, can we still change the sketch in 15 years ? I think you can.
By the way: the ESP32 and Arduino Zero/M0/MKR boards are not part of the AVR family.
Strider222:
All the arduino and esp32 etc for the AVR chip seems to use GCC. As AVR-g++ is soon to be depreciated should I start the learning curve for arduino or is there another option?
Arduino is not AVR, esp32 is not AVR and you can use ARM MCUs with Arduino.
I mean, in terms of practical impact, it's a very long way from being relevant, and it's not like anything is going to be added in future version of gcc that is likely to matter for embedded applications, but like, wtf were they thinking?
Also, in that thread, they're talking about how recent versions of the compiler seem to produce worse code than the older ones - it may be that the quality of the code output in any event leads people to stay on the older compiler versions anyway....