Subject: heads up
To: None <port-sparc@NetBSD.ORG>
From: Paul Kranenburg <pk@cs.few.eur.nl>
List: port-sparc
Date: 03/04/1997 01:27:15
In a few days time I intend to commit a fairly invasive set of changes
to many files in arch/sparc. The changes designed to get a grip on
the multitude of sun4m processor variants, but affect the sun4 and sun4c
code as well. Since I cannot test on every type of machine on which
NetBSD/sparc is currently known to work, this may cause some lossage
on a few machines. However, I'm confident this can be sorted out
quickly.
Here's a birds-eye view of what's going to happen:
- CPU detection: converted to hybrid table-driven form allowing
the major players (sun4, sun4c, microsparc,supersparc, etc.)
to sorted into broad classes. Fine tuning of attributes can
be done by individual routines attached to each "class".
- Collect a bunch of CPU/module specific routines (like cache
handling) in function pointers which replace many
"if (footype == BAR)"-like constructs. Improves effiency
in some cases (not all); definitely improves clarity.
- Location of the above per-CPU information is located at a fixed
virtual address. The idea is to have direct access to from any
CPU in a SMP system, without costly de-referencing through
pointers.
- pmap_bootstrap: simplified in some spots + some preparations
for SMP (e.g. to implement the previous item). Still lots of
work left.
-pk