diff --git a/vm/cmake/mac_osx.cmake b/vm/cmake/mac_osx.cmake
index b834bf27..067a8284 100644
--- a/vm/cmake/mac_osx.cmake
+++ b/vm/cmake/mac_osx.cmake
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ endif()
 set(SELF_OSX_INFO_PLIST Info)
 
 if(SELF_QUARTZ)
-    message(STATUS "Using Quartz plaform windows.")
+    message(STATUS "Using Quartz platform windows.")
     list(APPEND _defines -DQUARTZ_LIB)
 endif()
 
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ if(SELF_OSX_COCOA)
 endif()
 
 set(SELF_PREFIX_PREFIX_THRESHOLD_INIT
-  "20" # DO NOT SET ABVOE 20. Breaks X-includes!
+  "20" # DO NOT SET ABOVE 20. Breaks X-includes!
 )
 
 
@@ -35,18 +35,28 @@ set(GUI_TYPE MACOSX_BUNDLE)
 if(NOT CONFIG_HAS_BEEN_RUN_BEFORE)
   # no x86_64 atm,
   # so forcibly overwrite
-  set(CMAKE_OSX_ARCHITECTURES i386 CACHE STRING
-     "Build architectures for OSX"
-    FORCE)
-  # we need to be 10.6 compliant.
-  # so forcibly overwrite
-  set(CMAKE_OSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET "10.6" CACHE STRING
-    "Minimum OS X version to target for deployment (at runtime); newer APIs weak linked. Set to empty string for default value."
+  set(CMAKE_OSX_ARCHITECTURES ${platform_processor} CACHE STRING
+    "Build architectures for OSX"
     FORCE)
+
+  if(${platform_processor} STREQUAL "i386")
+    # we need to be 10.6 compliant.
+    # so forcibly overwrite
+    set(CMAKE_OSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET "10.6" CACHE STRING
+      "Minimum OS X version to target for deployment (at runtime); newer APIs weak linked. Set to empty string for default value."
+      FORCE)
+    set(_sdk_list "macosx10.10" "macosx10.9" "macosx10.8" "macosx10.7" "macosx10.6")
+  elseif(${platform_processor} STREQUAL "ppc")
+    set(CMAKE_OSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET "10.5" CACHE STRING
+      "Minimum OS X version to target for deployment (at runtime); newer APIs weak linked. Set to empty string for default value."
+      FORCE)
+    set(_sdk_list "macosx10.5")
+  endif()
+
   # see if we can get a matching SDK
   # first, unset this because it is probably set to the latest SDK
   unset(CMAKE_OSX_SYSROOT CACHE)
-  foreach(sdk "macosx10.9" "macosx10.8" "macosx10.7" "macosx10.6")
+  foreach(sdk ${_sdk_list})
     execute_process(
     COMMAND xcodebuild -version -sdk "${sdk}" Path
     OUTPUT_VARIABLE _sdkpath
@@ -200,7 +210,7 @@ macro(setup_target target)
       endif()
     endif()
 
-    # These are the XCode-equivalendts for the flags/warnings in setup.
+    # These are the XCode-equivalents for the flags/warnings in setup.
     # we hence remove the respective flag, it gets added anyways at compile time
     set(CMAKE_XCODE_ATTRIBUTE_GCC_WARN_CHECK_SWITCH_STATEMENTS "YES")
     remove_definitions(-Wswitch)
@@ -237,7 +247,7 @@ macro(setup_target target)
     set(CMAKE_XCODE_ATTRIBUTE_COPY_PHASE_STRIP "NO")
     set(CMAKE_XCODE_ATTRIBUTE_DEBUG_INFORMATION_FORMAT "dwarf-with-dsym")
 
-    # cmake adds warnings hardcoded which we dont want.
+    # cmake adds warnings hardcoded which we don't want.
     # mess with the warnings
     set_target_properties(${target} PROPERTIES XCODE_ATTRIBUTE_WARNING_CFLAGS "")
   endif()
diff --git a/vm/cmake/setup.cmake b/vm/cmake/setup.cmake
index b3821d83..2caaa25d 100644
--- a/vm/cmake/setup.cmake
+++ b/vm/cmake/setup.cmake
@@ -51,30 +51,18 @@ endif()
 if (clang)
   list(APPEND _flags -Wabi)
 elseif(gcc)
-  list(APPEND _flags -Wabi=11)
+  if (CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_VERSION VERSION_GREATER_EQUAL 8.0)
+    list(APPEND _flags -Wabi=11)
+  endif()
 endif()
+
+# These warning options are accepted by the latest xcode for MacOS X
+# 10.5 with gcc 4.2.  The compiler versions for the rest of them were
+# picked from inspecting the gcc docs and should not be too wrong.
 list(APPEND _flags
   -Wall
   -Wextra
 
-  # probably ok, but needs auditing
-  -Wno-delete-non-virtual-dtor
-
-  # old use of "volatile" in lieu of attribute((noreturn))
-  -Wno-ignored-qualifiers
-
-  # TODO: just add FALLTHROUGH annotation comments
-  -Wno-implicit-fallthrough
-
-  # these are often hit or miss...
-  -Wno-maybe-uninitialized
-
-  # complains about a few cases of existing idiomatic layout
-  -Wno-misleading-indentation
-
-  # cf. -fno-delete-null-pointer-checks above
-  -Wno-nonnull
-
   # these are a pain to fix properly...
   -Wno-sign-compare
 
@@ -85,15 +73,46 @@ list(APPEND _flags
   # vm/src/any/parser/parser.cpp uses some literal chars not in enum
   -Wno-switch
 
-  # there are few, marked "for debugging", and they probably need to
-  # be marked volatile so that those assignments are not elided and
-  # the values are actually available to be inspected from the
-  # debugger
-  -Wno-unused-but-set-variable
-
   # mostly spammy for C++, needs a rainy day cleanup round
   -Wno-unused-parameter
 
   # needs a rainy day cleanup round
   -Wno-unused-variable
 )
+
+# NB: XXX: For now this only handles gcc.  Recent clang cannot be used
+# to compile Self b/c they insist on this != null.  Older clang
+# versions should probably be fine, but I currently don't have
+# bandwidth spelunking throgh clang docs/rtfs in search of the right
+# versions.
+macro(VersionedFlag FirstVersion)
+  if (gcc)
+    if (CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_VERSION VERSION_GREATER_EQUAL ${FirstVersion})
+      list(APPEND _flags ${ARGN})
+    endif()
+  endif()
+endmacro()
+
+# probably ok, but needs auditing
+VersionedFlag(4.7 -Wno-delete-non-virtual-dtor)
+
+# old use of "volatile" in lieu of attribute((noreturn))
+VersionedFlag(4.3 -Wno-ignored-qualifiers)
+
+# TODO: just add FALLTHROUGH annotation comments
+VersionedFlag(7.0 -Wno-implicit-fallthrough)
+
+# these are often hit or miss...
+VersionedFlag(4.7 -Wno-maybe-uninitialized)
+
+# complains about a few cases of existing idiomatic layout
+VersionedFlag(6.0 -Wno-misleading-indentation)
+
+# cf. -fno-delete-null-pointer-checks above
+# (it was supported in earlier gcc versions, but not for C++)
+VersionedFlag(5.0 -Wno-nonnull)
+
+# there are few, marked "for debugging", and they probably need to be
+# marked volatile so that those assignments are not elided and the
+# values are actually available to be inspected from the debugger
+VersionedFlag(4.6 -Wno-unused-but-set-variable)
diff --git a/vm/src/i386/runtime/asmDefs_gcc_i386.hh b/vm/src/i386/runtime/asmDefs_gcc_i386.hh
index 5da796f2..ab89b38a 100644
--- a/vm/src/i386/runtime/asmDefs_gcc_i386.hh
+++ b/vm/src/i386/runtime/asmDefs_gcc_i386.hh
@@ -77,8 +77,12 @@
 	.global C_SYM(name)	;		\
 C_SYM(name):
 
+#ifdef __ELF__
 #define end_exported_function(name)		\
 	.size	C_SYM(name), . - C_SYM(name)
+#else
+#define end_exported_function(name) /* no .size directive for macho */
+#endif
 
 
 // LinkageArea record:
diff --git a/vm/src/ppc/memory/search_ppc.cpp b/vm/src/ppc/memory/search_ppc.cpp
index 4586d2cc..08f9e3a5 100644
--- a/vm/src/ppc/memory/search_ppc.cpp
+++ b/vm/src/ppc/memory/search_ppc.cpp
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 # pragma implementation "search_ppc.hh"
 # include "_search_ppc.cpp.incl"
 
-#if TARGET_OS_VERSION == NETBSD_VERSION
+#if TARGET_OS_VERSION == MACOSX_VERSION || TARGET_OS_VERSION == NETBSD_VERSION
 #include <altivec.h>
 #endif
 
diff --git a/vm/src/ppc/prims/asmPrims_gcc_ppc.S b/vm/src/ppc/prims/asmPrims_gcc_ppc.S
index 2bb03616..8229e740 100644
--- a/vm/src/ppc/prims/asmPrims_gcc_ppc.S
+++ b/vm/src/ppc/prims/asmPrims_gcc_ppc.S
@@ -9,29 +9,28 @@
 // some integer primitives
 
 
-//  .include "../../src/ppc/runtime/asmDefs_gcc_ppc.hh"
-# include "asmDefs_gcc_ppc.hh"
+# include "_asmPrims_ppc.S.incl"
 
 
 
-#define ret_prim_error(error_code)		  \
-	import_data_address(r3, VMString)	; \
-	lwz	r3, error_code(r3)		; \
-	addi	r3, r3, Mark_Tag - Mem_Tag	; \
+#define ret_prim_error(error_code)		   \
+	import_data_address(r3, VMString)	__ \
+	lwz	r3, error_code(r3)		__ \
+	addi	r3, r3, Mark_Tag - Mem_Tag	__ \
 	blr
 
 
-#define arith_prim(name, opcode)	  \
-    start_exported_function(name)	; \
-	or	r0, rcv, arg		; \
-	andi.	r0, r0, Tag_Mask	; \
-	beq	name ## _OK		; \
-	ret_prim_error(badTypeOffset)	; \
-name ## _OK:				  \
-	/* clear sum ovfl bit */	  \
-	mcrxr	0			; \
-        opcode	rcv, rcv, arg	; \
-        bnslr				; \
+#define arith_prim(name, opcode)	   \
+    start_exported_function(name)	__ \
+	or	r0, rcv, arg		__ \
+	andi.	r0, r0, Tag_Mask	__ \
+	beq	name ## _OK		__ \
+	ret_prim_error(badTypeOffset)	__ \
+    name ## _OK:			   \
+	/* clear sum ovfl bit */	   \
+	mcrxr	0			__ \
+        opcode	rcv, rcv, arg		__ \
+        bnslr				__ \
         ret_prim_error(overflowOffset)
 
 arith_prim(smi_add_prim, addo. )
@@ -51,14 +50,14 @@ smi_mul_prim_OK:
         ret_prim_error(overflowOffset)
         
 
-#define log_prim(name, opcode)		  \
-    start_exported_function(name)	; \
-	or	r0, rcv, arg		; \
-	andi.	r0, r0, Tag_Mask	; \
-	beq	name ## _OK		; \
-	ret_prim_error(badTypeOffset)	; \
-name ## _OK:				  \
-	opcode	rcv, rcv, arg	; \
+#define log_prim(name, opcode)		   \
+    start_exported_function(name)	__ \
+	or	r0, rcv, arg		__ \
+	andi.	r0, r0, Tag_Mask	__ \
+	beq	name ## _OK		__ \
+	ret_prim_error(badTypeOffset)	__ \
+    name ## _OK:			   \
+	opcode	rcv, rcv, arg		__ \
 	blr
           
 log_prim(smi_and_prim, and)
@@ -90,15 +89,15 @@ smi_arithmetic_shift_left_prim_OK:
 	ret_prim_error(overflowOffset)
 
 
-#define simple_shift_prim(name, opcode)	  \
-    start_exported_function(name)	; \
-	or	r0, rcv, arg		; \
-	andi.	r0, r0, Tag_Mask	; \
-	beq	1f			; \
-	ret_prim_error(badTypeOffset)	; \
-1:					  \
-	/* shift out tag */		  \
-	srawi	arg, arg, 2		; \
+#define simple_shift_prim(name, opcode)	   \
+    start_exported_function(name)	__ \
+	or	r0, rcv, arg		__ \
+	andi.	r0, r0, Tag_Mask	__ \
+	beq	1f			__ \
+	ret_prim_error(badTypeOffset)	__ \
+    1:					   \
+	/* shift out tag */		   \
+	srawi	arg, arg, 2		__ \
 	opcode	rcv, rcv, arg
 
 simple_shift_prim(smi_logical_shift_left_prim, slw)
diff --git a/vm/src/ppc/runtime/asmDefs_gcc_ppc.hh b/vm/src/ppc/runtime/asmDefs_gcc_ppc.hh
index 44a0cc95..e914290e 100644
--- a/vm/src/ppc/runtime/asmDefs_gcc_ppc.hh
+++ b/vm/src/ppc/runtime/asmDefs_gcc_ppc.hh
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@
 // Copyright 1992-9 Sun Microsystems, Inc. and Stanford University.
 //   See the LICENSE file for license information. 
 
-#if TARGET_OS_VERSION == NETBSD_VERSION
+// can't include config.hh in asm files, so FOO_VERSION are not defined
+#if !defined(__APPLE__)         // TARGET_OS_VERSION == NETBSD_VERSION
 #define r0  0
 #define r1  1
 #define r2  2
@@ -152,21 +153,23 @@ non_local_return_offset  =  8 // offset of NLR instruction from call
 // ---------------------------------------------------------
 
 # if defined(__APPLE__)
+  # define __ @
   # define C_SYM(name) _##name
 # elif defined(__ELF__)
+  # define __ ;
   # define C_SYM(name) name
 # else
   # error what?
 # endif
 
 
-#define start_exported_function(name)		\
-	.globl C_SYM(name);			\
+#define start_exported_function(name)		   \
+	.globl C_SYM(name)			__ \
     C_SYM(name):
 
 
-#define load_global_address(tmp_reg, data_sym)	\
-	.globl C_SYM(data_sym);			\
+#define load_global_address(tmp_reg, data_sym)	   \
+	.globl C_SYM(data_sym)			__ \
 	load_addr(tmp_reg, C_SYM(data_sym))
        
 #define import_data_address(tmp_reg, data_sym)	\
@@ -194,35 +197,27 @@ badTypeOffset           = 8
 divisionByZeroOffset    = 16
 overflowOffset          = 20
 
-// Warning: Duplicated in tag.hh
-Int_Tag         = 0
-Mem_Tag         = 1
-Float_Tag       = 2
-Mark_Tag        = 3
-
-Tag_Mask        = 3
-
 // =====================================================
             
 	// call untested DOES NOT QUITE WORK
-#define Untested(string, tmp)				  \
-	b 3f						; \
-1:	.asciz string					; \
-2:	C_SYM(Untested_Stub)				; \
-							  \
-3:	mflr	r0					; \
-	import_function_address(tmp, C_SYM(Untested_stub)); \
-	mtctr	tmp					; \
-	bctrl						; \
+#define Untested(string, tmp)					   \
+	b 3f							__ \
+1:	.asciz string						__ \
+2:	C_SYM(Untested_Stub)					__ \
+								   \
+3:	mflr	r0						__ \
+	import_function_address(tmp, C_SYM(Untested_stub))	__ \
+	mtctr	tmp						__ \
+	bctrl							__ \
 	mtlr	r0
             
 
-#define load_addr(targ, val)		  \
-	addis	targ, 0, hi16(val)	; \
+#define load_addr(targ, val)		   \
+	addis	targ, 0, hi16(val)	__ \
 	ori	targ, targ, lo16(val)
 
-#define load_val(targ, val)		  \
-	addis	targ, 0, ha16(val)	; \
+#define load_val(targ, val)		   \
+	addis	targ, 0, ha16(val)	__ \
 	lwz	targ, lo16(val)
  
 # endif // __ppc__
diff --git a/vm/src/ppc/runtime/runtime_asm_gcc_ppc.S b/vm/src/ppc/runtime/runtime_asm_gcc_ppc.S
index d4a915df..5b7725d0 100644
--- a/vm/src/ppc/runtime/runtime_asm_gcc_ppc.S
+++ b/vm/src/ppc/runtime/runtime_asm_gcc_ppc.S
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@
 /* remove me from MW project when compiling under MW */
 
 
-# include "asmDefs_gcc_ppc.hh"
-        
+# include "_runtime_asm_gcc_ppc.S.incl"
+
     start_exported_function(currentFrame)
     mr     r3, sp
     blr
@@ -464,10 +464,10 @@ base_fr_size =   LinkageArea_size/oopSize + NumRcvrAndArgRegisters + -SaveSelfNo
 # define  vol_reg_count  r30
 
 
-#define load_global_nonvol_regs						  \
-                import_data_address(ByteMapBaseReg, byte_map_base)	; \
-                import_data_address(SPLimitReg, SPLimit)		; \
-                lwz     ByteMapBaseReg, 0(ByteMapBaseReg)		; \
+#define load_global_nonvol_regs						   \
+                import_data_address(ByteMapBaseReg, byte_map_base)	__ \
+                import_data_address(SPLimitReg, SPLimit)		__ \
+                lwz     ByteMapBaseReg, 0(ByteMapBaseReg)		__ \
                 lwz     SPLimitReg,     0(SPLimitReg)
 
                 
diff --git a/vm/src/ppc/zone/allocZone_ppc.S b/vm/src/ppc/zone/allocZone_ppc.S
index c1af1fed..f52b5259 100644
--- a/vm/src/ppc/zone/allocZone_ppc.S
+++ b/vm/src/ppc/zone/allocZone_ppc.S
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 # if TARGET_IS_PROFILED
 
-# include "_allocZone_ppc.s.incl"
+# include "_allocZone_ppc.S.incl"
 # include "asmDefs_gcc_ppc.hh"
 
 
diff --git a/vm/src/unix/os/os_includes_unix.hh b/vm/src/unix/os/os_includes_unix.hh
index ad0f7278..a9586ab6 100644
--- a/vm/src/unix/os/os_includes_unix.hh
+++ b/vm/src/unix/os/os_includes_unix.hh
@@ -179,6 +179,9 @@ extern "C" {
 # endif
 
 # include <sys/mman.h>
+# if !defined(MAP_ANONYMOUS)    // old macosx
+#   define MAP_ANONYMOUS MAP_ANON
+# endif
 
 # if TARGET_OS_VERSION == SUNOS_VERSION && COMPILER != GCC_COMPILER
 #   define wait(x) __nonexistent_function_name_due_to_incorrect_header___