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Re: PPC32 and state of the project


Kevin B. Hendricks wrote:

> I volunteer to help out for ppc32 support.  

Thanks.


> So does anyone have a more detailed To-Do list for PPC32?
> 
> Can anything be done without an TLS register abi change?  
> And is there a target register that we should be using to keep in sync with 
> ppc64 or whatever?

The main set of problems revolves around the thread register.  Getting
LinuxThreads to run with a thread register is the first step.  The next
step is designing and implementing ELF TLS (see
http://people.redhat.com/drepper/tls.pdf).  Finally, the port of NPTL to
PPC awaits.


> Who do we have to bug to get that register decision made and the abi 
> changes made?

Well, you'll now have to convince Franz.  As far as I'm concerned he
makes now the PPC32 ABI decisions.


> Is Geoff Keating still supporting PPC32 Linux or has he
> moved completely to Apple/Darwin.

Have you seen Geoff doing anything?  I've asked Franz to step up exactly
because nothing has happened.


> I know squat about gcc internals but I am quite familar with the 
> linuxthreads code and ppc assembler and the abi details and I am willing 
> to pitch in and help if someone can point me in a relevant direction.

Well, I suggest to

- start a discussion with interested parties about the thread register
  decision;

- implement the LinuxThreads side.  This won't need gcc support;

- design ELF TLS; a prerequisite is a thread register;

- implement ELF TLS in gcc and binutils.  I do not know who will
  volunteer to do this work.

By the time all this is done there will most probably be a non-asm NPTL
port and porting NPTL to PPC32 should be easy.  For the TLS design you
might want to consider talking to the PPC64 guys.  I guess that perhaps
after substituting the thread register name the two ABIs can share the
same TLS design.

-- 
--------------.                        ,-.            444 Castro Street
Ulrich Drepper \    ,-----------------'   \ Mountain View, CA 94041 USA
Red Hat         `--' drepper at redhat.com `---------------------------


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