From owner-freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Mon Aug 7 08:35:42 2006 Return-Path: X-Original-To: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Delivered-To: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 619C116A4DA; Mon, 7 Aug 2006 08:35:42 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from peterjeremy@optushome.com.au) Received: from mail19.syd.optusnet.com.au (mail19.syd.optusnet.com.au [211.29.132.200]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 44D4443D5E; Mon, 7 Aug 2006 08:35:40 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from peterjeremy@optushome.com.au) Received: from turion.vk2pj.dyndns.org (c220-239-19-236.belrs4.nsw.optusnet.com.au [220.239.19.236]) by mail19.syd.optusnet.com.au (8.12.11/8.12.11) with ESMTP id k778Z657028164 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=EDH-RSA-DES-CBC3-SHA bits=168 verify=NO); Mon, 7 Aug 2006 18:35:11 +1000 Received: from turion.vk2pj.dyndns.org (localhost.vk2pj.dyndns.org [127.0.0.1]) by turion.vk2pj.dyndns.org (8.13.6/8.13.6) with ESMTP id k778Z6VF001105; Mon, 7 Aug 2006 18:35:06 +1000 (EST) (envelope-from peter@turion.vk2pj.dyndns.org) Received: (from peter@localhost) by turion.vk2pj.dyndns.org (8.13.6/8.13.6/Submit) id k778YtUQ001101; Mon, 7 Aug 2006 18:34:55 +1000 (EST) (envelope-from peter) Date: Mon, 7 Aug 2006 18:34:55 +1000 From: Peter Jeremy To: Duane Whitty Message-ID: <20060807083455.GA752@turion.vk2pj.dyndns.org> References: <2f3a439f0606260653j602e083blf872bef5b94be5a@mail.gmail.com> <200606270851.47508.jhb@freebsd.org> <20060806232645.GB39488@dwpc.dwlabs.ca> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/signed; micalg=pgp-sha1; protocol="application/pgp-signature"; boundary="uAKRQypu60I7Lcqm" Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <20060806232645.GB39488@dwpc.dwlabs.ca> X-PGP-Key: http://members.optusnet.com.au/peterjeremy/pubkey.asc User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.11 Cc: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org, freebsd-platforms@freebsd.org Subject: Re: New architecture support X-BeenThere: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Technical Discussions relating to FreeBSD List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 07 Aug 2006 08:35:42 -0000 --uAKRQypu60I7Lcqm Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable On Sun, 2006-Aug-06 20:26:45 -0300, Duane Whitty wrote: >I'm somewhat interested in this as well. Towards that end would it be >correct for me to believe the process is easier if the architecture >already has a UNIX(tm) style operating system installed and operating and >if there are GNU tools available for this architecture already (assembler, >compiler, linker)? The Un*x-like OS is not especially critical but a working toolchain is. >What I am thinking about is HP's HP 9000 PA-II RISC architecture. Seems to >me that if the above mentioned tools are available that about 85% of the >work is already done, but then I only have limited experience in this area. Maybe 85% of the total effort (starting from nothing). The other critical item is access to the system programming information for the system - and I'm not sure how readily available this is for the HP-PA. Currently FreeBSD has support for 6 platforms. There is a total of 10MB or 304KLOC in the MD-trees - this is about 50KLOC per CPU. Whilst you may be able to leverage off existing MD code (especially the NetBSD HP-PA port), a port to a new architecture is a non-trivial undertaking. >I really like the HP 9000 platform and I would love to see FreeBSD on it. The HP 9000 is really more NetBSD territory than FreeBSD territory. Unless you can get a critical mass of developers who are interested, the port is a non-starter. The Alpha port died because there wasn't sufficient interest to keep it going - and much of the loss of interest was a result of Compaq killing the Alpha. I suspect that a HP 9000 port would be starting from a much smaller base. --=20 Peter Jeremy --uAKRQypu60I7Lcqm Content-Type: application/pgp-signature Content-Disposition: inline -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.5 (FreeBSD) iD8DBQFE1vsv/opHv/APuIcRAnlBAJ9immrqu+1CphOiaOtS0o1vVONI9gCgs9Q5 UL7A/7tR4OsksSqdZ9OWwrY= =49fv -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- --uAKRQypu60I7Lcqm--