Make threads architecture-independent on Linux

[Mark Kettenis]

   Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1999 15:36:23 -0800 (PST)
   From: hjl@lucon.org (H.J. Lu)

   > 
   > Following up on last week's discussion (that is,
   > http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/1999-q4/msg00123.html and
   > related email), here is a patch to enable linux threads in general
   > rather than just on x86.  I've tested it on x86 but it should work on
   > all of them (famous last words :-)).
   > 
   > 1999-11-08  Jim Kingdon  < http://developer.redhat.com/ >
   > 
   > 	Enable threads for all linux architectures:
   > 	* config/nm-linux.h: New file.
   > 	* config/{alpha,i386,m68k,sparc}/nm-linux.h: Use it.
   > 

   I will advise against it. You can take a look at gdb 4.17.0.14 to
   see how it is handled there. I will make a patch for gdb 4.18
   when the backlog improves.

What exactly is withholding you from submitting small patches to bits
unrelated to the FPU support?  And even then, the only piece missing
for proper Linux FPU support is the "info float" command which is not
essential and will be present real soon now.  There are also some
remaining issues with long double support that have to be resolved and
the idea is to get rid if the ad-hoc implementation that the Linux
port uses now.  I would advise strongly against touching the long
double support since almost anything you'll do will most likely be
changed anyway.  But I cannot see why this small "backlog" is keeping
you from submitting patches.

Somehow I'm suspecting that you want to submit a huge patch that
touches several unrelated issues without a lot of explanation why
those changes are necessary.  I think that that would be a terribly
bad thing to do, and I would strngly advise the GDB maintainers not to
accept such a large patch.

If JK's patch really isn't the right way to add thread-support for
all Linux architectures, please tell us why!  Otherwise I think the
patch should be applied.

Mark