Re: [parisc-linux] 64 userspace

[Carlos O'Donell <carlos@baldric.uwo.ca>]

> To my knowledge, there isn't one.  Roughly what is required is:
> 
> 1) Kernel -- design and implement 64-bit system calls.

Currently, 64-bit kernels return bogus sigcontext structures to our
32-bit userspace, they stuff the sigcontext with 64-bit registers when
it is only expecting 32-bits. It seems like sigcontext should be
expanded to have 64-bits per register for both 32 and 64 bit kernels?
This is definately an ABI breakage. Though it's funny that not many
programs are broken under 64-bit kernels, but I guess that without
*context() calls implemented for HPPA in glibc, the returned ucontext is
not used (except for that weird LISP interpreter that Krystof was
porting).
 
> 2) Binutils -- port hpux 64-bit tools to linux.

I thought we had a 64-bit binutils port?

> 3) Gdb -- same as binutils.

This would require some work.

> 4) GCC --  same as binutils.

hppa64-linux-gcc?

> 5) Glibc -- implement 64-bit specific parts of ABI and system calls.

This is a biggie, 64-bit SHLIBS being the large headache.

> Are you offering support from HP?  It's taken a number of years to
> get to the current state of development on the 32-bit port given the
> level of volunteer effort and support from HP.  What you are asking
> won't happen for months, if not years.  The time to implement a 64-bit
> userspace won't be as great as for the 32-bit port, but it still a
> very significant effort.

Perhaps we will see it's emergence in the next few years :)

c.