Subject: More than just the compiler, the FS tools ...
To: None <tech-toolchain@NetBSD.ORG>
From: Andrew Cagney <cagney@tpgi.com.au>
List: port-powerpc
Date: 02/07/1997 09:45:59
BTW,

[Assuming that this news group is intended for the resolution of the
problems of cross compiling NetBSD]

Up until now the discussions have only looked at the compiler tools. 
Another key aspect of this process is the file system tools.  In
particular things like:

	o	mk*fs (eg iso9660 etc)

	o	disk partition programs

It is important that these tools continue to work on foreign (or at
least alternative NetBSD hosts).

As a specific example, the NetBSD/PowerPC boot disk should technically
be a dos partitioned disk containing a dos file system (and a number of
files) and (optionally) other partitions. Unfortunatly, creating such a
beast without having access to a physical disk is difficult.  Fortunatly
though, we can get away with a cd9660 fs and this, in turn, I understand
is why all the *BSD/PowerPC kernels are using that mechanism.

In the longer term, however, I suggest that it would be a good strategy
to steer the FS tools in a direction that allowed them to be built and
used on foreign hosts.

	Just a BTW,
		Andrew