Changing COFF to EABI

I gather you are not using C6000?  Are you using ARM or MSP430?

I'm using ARM

For ARM, please see http://processors.wiki.ti.com/index.php/EABI_Support_in_ARM_Compiler.  Unfortunately, the migration document referred to there does not answer your question.

For ARM, __TI_static_base__ exists, but it points at the start of the .cinit section, which is surprising to me.  I don't see a linker-defined symbol that could be used in place of the symbols "end" or ".bss".  You may need to create such a symbol in the linker command file.  I'll try to get an expert to comment on this.

For those reading along, "end" is the linker-defined COFF symbol marking the end of uninitialized data (usually the end of .bss).  You can find documentation in the ARM Assembly Language Tools User's Guide, SPNU118 revision J, in section "7.5.8.4 Symbols Defined by the Linker"

Okay, ignore __TI_static_base__ entirely.  On ARM, it is unrelated to .bss

You can create your own ".bss" and "end" symbols with the RUN_START and RUN_END linker command file operators.  For example:

.bss : RUN_START(.bss), RUN_END(end) {} > D_MEM

Does that mean I can replace the earlier definition(COFF) of bss i.e 

.bss: { }  

with

 .bss : RUN_START(.bss), RUN_END(end) {} > D_MEM

What should I do with the symbol etext?

Thanks a ton, I'm done away with the errors, but for the .bss section in the linker command file, I get a warning:

#10083-D LOAD placement ignored for ".bss":  object is uninitialized

Searching the e2e community, I found this thread,

http://e2e.ti.com/support/development_tools/compiler/f/343/t/66645.aspx

but can't conclude anything, kindly explain.

You must use RUN_START and RUN_END, and not START and END (which mean LOAD_START and LOAD_END), when applied to uninitialized sections like .bss

I have used RUN_START and RUN_END only, with the .bss section, still I get this warning.

Please post the exact SECTIONS directive you are using for .bss

I'm using the same statements as you suggested. I'm running the .bss and .text in a group as follows:

GROUP

{

RamActiveBlk : {}

.bss : RUN_START(.bss), RUN_END(end) {} > D_MEM

.text : RUN_START(.text), RUN_END(etext) {} > D_MEM

} run = XYZ align 0x4, START(StartAddr), END(EndAddr)

and I get the specified warning in the .bss line.

You're placing each group member into D_MEM, and also placing the group into XYZ at run-time.  Remove the "> D_MEM" from .bss and the warning will go away.

I'm a bit unclear exactly how the ">" syntax, the "run=" syntax, and the use of the GROUP operator interact.  I'll have to ask an expert on this subject.