Re: PPC porting status

[Maurizio Boriani <baux@member.fsf.org>]

>>>>> "Marco" == Marco Gerards <metgerards@student.han.nl> writes:

    Marco> Not yet, but I will work on this in short term.  Does
    Marco> grubof work for you?

not tested yet... I didn't find docs about how use it (I supposed 
should be copied into the boot part with some kind of configuration 
file in a yaboot similar way ). How should I test it?

    Marco> We need to write a new multiboot spec, the current one is
    Marco> not portable.

I saw... it specify the use of specific x86 registers and so on... 
I think should be better to use ram to store information produced by 
grub2 for the OS

    >> 3) What's the global state of ppc port?

[...]

    Marco> - There is no support to load modules.

In i386 port this is contained by loader/i386/pc/chainloader.c ?

    Marco> - No HFS[+] support: Almost finished, see the mailing list
    Marco> archives.

saw :)

    Marco> - No loaders at all.  I have written a linux loader, but it
    Marco> does not support a lot of features and it crashes with some
    Marco> kernels.  It is not in CVS yet.

could you commit ppc loader? I'd like to work on this :) Actually I prefer to
work on chainloader and multiboot but whit a working loader this development 
should be simpler.

    Marco> - There are some bugs that can crash grubof.  Perhaps the
    Marco> patches I mentioned above will fix this.

:)

    >> 4) What's need to be done?

    Marco> Currently I am working on HFS support and the stability of
    Marco> the port.  What I won't do in short term is working on the
    Marco> module loading support.  It would be really neat if you
    Marco> could work on that.

I'd like to do so very much :)

    Marco> The other thing you can work on, although I planned working
    Marco> on this (well, still no problem), is the linux loader.  I
    Marco> could for example commit what I have after a few
    Marco> improvements.  If you could investigate the crashes and
    Marco> improve the loader that will mean GRUB 2 can be used as
    Marco> bootloader.

I'll be glad doing this 

    Marco> So feel free to pick a task or suggestion something
    Marco> yourself.  What will help me the most is the module loading
    Marco> support because I will not do that in short term.  But
    Marco> whatever you do, please tell us before you start and keep
    Marco> us informed about the progress.

ok :) I'd like to have a look to linux loader and when it'll work 
(if I'll be able to do so :) ) try to use for booting a little dummy kernel and 
dummy modules for chailoader development. My real goal is to have a better
and comfortable environment on ppc (bootloader and so on) for hurd-l4 
development and port. I apologise if in future my works on grub2 will be 
discontinuous but my spare-time is so (some periods I'm very busy with works 
which let me live and some others I've nothing to do :)) )

    Marco> Can you please describe the hardware you have?  It might
    Marco> help me if I knew what hardware is supported already, what
    Marco> needs to be done and what can be tested.

I usually works on a NewWorld PowerBoot2,2 MacRISC Power Macintosh
(cpu ppc750CX at 466MHz,256K L2 cache and 192MB system memory). In
short it is an Ibook graphite :)

    >> 5) Where do you suggest me to start from?

    Marco> Please read about our coding standards.  We use the GCS,
    Marco> please read the relevant sections from
    Marco> `http://www.gnu.org/prep/standards.html'.

ok I already know this and respect like an holy book :)) Also
I'm a guile/scheme fanatic :)

    Marco> To learn about the things that need to be done, just read
    Marco> the i386/pc specific code for that.  It already works and
    Marco> it should help when writing the ppc/ieee1275 code.  And of
    Marco> course you should ask questions if you have any.

thanks very much for suggestions 

    Marco> Thanks, Marco

friendly yours,
Maurizio 

-- 
Maurizio Boriani 
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