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Phase 6: Self-host seed

For agentic workers: REQUIRED SUB-SKILL: Use superpowers:executing-plans or build-li-master-plan.

Goal: Ship a bootstrap lic binary compiled from Li source (bootstrap/lic/main.li) by the C++ host. Full compiler rewrite in Li is out of scope for v1; this phase proves the build/run loop and CLI argv bridge.

Architecture: C++ lic remains the production compiler. Li bootstrap binary is a minimal CLI (--version, smoke) using li_rt_argc / li_rt_argv and libc strcmp. Parameterless proc main() lowers to li_user_main with a C main(argc, argv) wrapper that calls li_rt_set_args before user code.

Depends on: Phase 5
Blocks: Future full self-host (parser/types/codegen in Li)

Task 1: Runtime argv bridge

Files: - Modify: runtime/li_rt.c, runtime/li_rt.h

  • li_rt_set_args(int argc, char** argv)
  • li_rt_argc() -> int, li_rt_argv(i: int) -> ptr

Task 2: Codegen + MIR fixes

Files: - Modify: compiler/codegen/emit.cpp - Modify: compiler/mir/lower.cpp

  • C main wrapper only for parameterless user main (preserves typedict_ok.li etc.)
  • ptr extern params/returns use i8* allocas (ptr_locals)
  • Nested call expressions as extern call args
  • StoreInt/StoreI64 from ident or temp: set rhs_is_literal = false (MIR default was true)

Task 3: Bootstrap source + script

Files: - Create: bootstrap/lic/main.li - Create: scripts/bootstrap_lic.sh - Modify: .gitignore (build/lic-from-li)

  • CLI dispatches on argv[1] (--version, smoke, usage)
  • bootstrap_lic.sh builds and smoke-tests the binary

Task 4: Tests + registration

Files: - Modify: li-tests/manifest.toml

  • Integration verify_ok on ../bootstrap/lic/main.li

Exit gate

export LLVM_DIR="$(brew --prefix llvm@18)/lib/cmake/llvm"
./scripts/build.sh
./scripts/bootstrap_lic.sh
LIC=./build/compiler/lic/lic ./li-tests/run_all.sh

Expected:

  • lic 0.2.0-bootstrap (compiled with Li) on --version
  • bootstrap: smoke ok
  • li-tests: pass=46 fail=0

Out of scope (later)

  • Rewrite lexer/parser/types/MIR/codegen in Li
  • Stage-2 bootstrap: Li-compiled lic compiling itself
  • lic build / lic check in bootstrap source