From owner-freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Nov 4 16:02:59 2011 Return-Path: Delivered-To: hackers@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 780D6106564A for ; Fri, 4 Nov 2011 16:02:59 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from lev@FreeBSD.org) Received: from onlyone.friendlyhosting.spb.ru (onlyone.friendlyhosting.spb.ru [46.4.40.135]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 30D7B8FC17 for ; Fri, 4 Nov 2011 16:02:59 +0000 (UTC) Received: from lion.home.serebryakov.spb.ru (unknown [IPv6:2001:470:923f:1:78af:244a:397b:8de1]) (Authenticated sender: lev@serebryakov.spb.ru) by onlyone.friendlyhosting.spb.ru (Postfix) with ESMTPA id 795874AC1C; Fri, 4 Nov 2011 20:02:27 +0400 (MSK) Date: Fri, 4 Nov 2011 20:02:05 +0400 From: Lev Serebryakov Organization: FreeBSD X-Priority: 3 (Normal) Message-ID: <1391364710.20111104200205@serebryakov.spb.ru> To: Arnaud Lacombe In-Reply-To: References: <20111103092222.GN37036@e-new.0x20.net> <20111103155802.7bfc1df0.ray@freebsd.org> <20111104004007.GA74831@dereel.lemis.com> <20111104015559.GE74831@dereel.lemis.com> <1101963570.20111104135610@serebryakov.spb.ru> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Cc: hackers@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Porting FreeBSD to Raspberry Pi X-BeenThere: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list Reply-To: lev@FreeBSD.org List-Id: Technical Discussions relating to FreeBSD List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 04 Nov 2011 16:02:59 -0000 Hello, Arnaud. You wrote 4 =D0=BD=D0=BE=D1=8F=D0=B1=D1=80=D1=8F 2011 =D0=B3., 19:48:29: >>> $89, 700MHz Cortex A8, 256MB DRR2, micro-SD. However, do not expect >>> being able to run FreeBSD on it before a few years :) >> =C2=A0What is so special about A8? >> > It is the consumer technology of today. The best people can afford > without being in ARM's R&D centers. > Let me tell you what is going to happen. ARM11 has been around for > years, it will take you a year or two to complete the project, nice, > hacker thrill, you did it. However, by the time you release it, the > Raspberry Pi will be sold-out and will be replaced by an ARMv7 core, > smaller, faster, eventually cheaper. By that time, the current > technology will be a 64bits MP-core ARMv8, And you will be in the > exact same situation as today, FreeBSD lagging one or two generation > behind Linux, keep up. As I'm not a ARM specialist, I have several questions. Does porting to ARM11 (ARVv6, am I right?) will make porting to ARMv7 (Cortex) easier? You see, i486 adds some nice commands, tricks and configuration registers to i386, but porting to i486 after you have working port to i386/Protected mode is almost trivial. Or it is completely different architectures, which doesn't have anything in common? ARMvX is only a core, as far as I understand. How much different are implementations from different vendors? MMU? Bus? Configuration space? Why do you think, porting to different ARMs should go sequentially? :) Yes, we (FreeBSD) doesn't have a lot of resources, but as nobody could be forced to do what he don't want, it is better, IMHO, to have ARM11 port, that to not have any ARM port at all. But I agree, that port to Cortex-A8/A9 looks more interesting :) --=20 // Black Lion AKA Lev Serebryakov