what is the difference... between optimizing in compiler and linker (a honest question, no provocation)?
Isn't the compiler-linker combo a "blackbox" from the application under debugging point of view?

An ICE (and, I guess, a simulator) use a link from the object file to a source line in the C source (e.g. stement line 4711 is offset 0x2345 into the module). When the linker muck around with it that relation get lost.

As an example (this is TRUE linker only optimization) if the linker find this in two places and is told to optimize it does the follwing

.....
ralph:
pop DPH
pop DPL
pop acc
pop SFR
ret

it will replace one of the instaces with ljmp Ralph.

this, of course makes it impossible to set a breakpoint at the exit from ONE of the two since it will break when either exits.

Erik