Platform-dependent variations in numeric conversions

[Duck <duck@...>]

Under Linux (gcc 4.x and associated libraries)

Lua 5.1.3  Copyright (C) 1994-2008 Lua.org, PUC-Rio
% = 0x12345678
305419896
% = -0x12345678
-305419896
% = tonumber(-0x12345678)
-305419896
% return  tonumber('-0x12345678')
-305419896
>

Under Windows (MinGW 3.x and associated libraries)

Lua 5.1.3  Copyright (C) 1994-2008 Lua.org, PUC-Rio
> = 0x12345678
305419896
> - 0x12345678
stdin:1: unexpected symbol near '-'
> = -0x12345678
-305419896
> = tonumber(-0x12345678)
-305419896
> return  tonumber('-0x12345678')
39895547400
>

The Windows string conversion seems to be "unsigned 32-ing" the converted 
number, whereas the Linux one is not. I presume the compiler does the 
negation of hex constants itself, therefore producing consistent results.

I think it can be considered a bug that (de)hexadecimalisation isn't coded 
inside Lua itself, making hex and decimal numbers equal-class lexical 
citizens on all platforms instead of relying on runtime library vagaries.

Is there some luaconf.h finessing I can do to make good under MinGW on 
Windows? .