Subject: Re: 64-bit Malta Kernel/Userland/Toolchain?
To: GIRISH V. GULAWANI <girishvg@yahoo.com>
From: Nigel Stephens <nigel@algor.co.uk>
List: port-evbmips
Date: 06/26/2002 13:50:12
"GIRISH V. GULAWANI" wrote:
> After Malta4Kc is running for me, I'm looking into
> 64-bit port. I've MIPS 20Kc for next couple of weeks.
> >From last 2 days I was trying to bring up the Bonito64
> part. Now, including PCI detection & access to some of
> the devices I'm able to move the kernel.

Girish

You are probably aware that the Bonito system controller was designed by
Algorithmics. The version on the MIPS 20Kc module board is very similar
to that used on our own P-6032 and P-6064 boards, but adds full cache
coherency (for both the Bonito i/o cache and the 20Kc caches). You might
like to look at Jason Thorpe's "algor" port, which includes (unfinished)
support for the P-6032 - there might be useful bits of Bonito code in
there which you can reuse.

> .3 KERNEL: Many features of 20Kc are expected to
> enhance total performance. Is there anybody already
> working on this particular port? I'm very much
> interested in this port. It'd be great if we start
> disucussing about it. Especially about the toolchain &
> the port in detail.

We are currently working on putting together a fully tested Linux
toolchain, based on our inhouse variant of gcc-2.96, and this will
include support for the 20Kc CPU. Hopefully this would port very easily
to NetBSD. It will target only the 32-bit "O32" ABI initially, and won't
have (tested) 64-bit (N64 or N32 ABI) support at first, although this
should come along later. Of course there may be quite a bit of work to
do to the MIPS port of the NetBSD kernel, dynamic linker, libraries, etc
to get it to support true 64-bit applications.

Regards

Nigel
-- 
_________________________________________________________
 Nigel Stephens             email: nigel@algor.co.uk
 Algorithmics Ltd             web: http://www.algor.co.uk
 The Fruit Farm         cambridge: +44 1223 706200
 Ely Road, Chittering      london: +44 20 7704 9081
 Cambridge CB5 9PH         mobile: +44 7976 686470
 England                      fax: +44 1223 706250