Developing code for ia64

Developing code for ia64

[Hen, Shmulik]

Hi,

When developing kernel drivers (module) for ia64, is it necessary to do it
on an ia64 machine ?
Our product contains a pre-compiled core object (IP protection :-\ ) and a
set of wrapper source files, so for dual platform support the tar ball has
to contain both an ia32 and ia64 versions of the executable. Is there any
way to get an ia64 compiler (and libs) installed on an ia32 machine and use
it to get ia64 compatible binaries ?


	Thanks,
	Shmulik Hen
	Software Engineer
	Linux Advanced Networking Services
	Network Communications Group, Israel (NCGj)
	Intel Corporation Ltd.

Re: Developing code for ia64

[Arjan van de Ven]

"Hen, Shmulik" wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> 
> When developing kernel drivers (module) for ia64, is it necessary to do it
> on an ia64 machine ?
> Our product contains a pre-compiled core object (IP protection :-\ ) and a
> set of wrapper source files, so for dual platform support the tar ball has
> to contain both an ia32 and ia64 versions of the executable. Is there any
> way to get an ia64 compiler (and libs) installed on an ia32 machine and use
> it to get ia64 compatible binaries ?

I would seriously recommend to intel to consider NOT doing this. Binary
only modules 
are generally frowned upon and there is (almost) never a good reason for
doing
them. If you're concerned about firmware, that's a totally different
issue,
binary firmware images can be done in a much simpler way.

But PLEASE don't do such a binary only module; I thought Intel was more 
Open Source friendly than that. (And I know most parts of Intel are; the
CPU folks and the networking folks are VERY helpful)

For one, almost no Linux distribution will ship with your drivers so
customers 
have go to a lot of hassle to compile their own drivers, and by doing
that
they loose all support from the community.

Greetings,
   Arjan van de Ven

Re: Developing code for ia64

[David Woodhouse]

shmulik.hen@intel.com said:
> Our product contains a pre-compiled core object (IP protection :-\ )
> and a set of wrapper source files, so for dual platform support the
> tar ball has to contain both an ia32 and ia64 versions of the
> executable. Is there any way to get an ia64 compiler (and libs)
> installed on an ia32 machine and use it to get ia64 compatible
> binaries ?

This list is for people interested in Linux, which is Free Software. If you 
are not working on Free Software, then your message is off-topic, and 
offensive to many. You should not expect to get any assistance here.

Please go away.

--
dwmw2

Re: Developing code for ia64

[Rik van Riel]

On Mon, 10 Sep 2001, Hen, Shmulik wrote:

> Our product contains a pre-compiled core object (IP protection :-\ )

In that case, be prepared to take the burden for all
linux kernel support from your users, since we'll just
send them your way.

Your email address has been saved, bug reporters about
any intel binary only driver will be told to ask you.

regards,

Rik
--
IA64: a worthy successor to the i860.

		http://www.surriel.com/
http://www.conectiva.com/	http://distro.conectiva.com/

Re: Developing code for ia64

[Alex Bligh - linux-kernel]

>> Our product contains a pre-compiled core object (IP protection :-\ )
>
> In that case, be prepared to take the burden for all
> linux kernel support from your users, since we'll just
> send them your way.
>
> Your email address has been saved, bug reporters about
> any intel binary only driver will be told to ask you.

Before you all jump so far down his throat you hit his
arse, he did say "Our product contains a pre-compiled
core object". He did not say that this was a kernel module,
or any other part of the kernel.

His question was whether you could bundle IA-64 and IA-32
code together in a single binary file (as far as I could
tell), which while probably off topic here, probably
does not require application of cattle prod at such a
voltage. Whilst binary modules are contentious, esp.
w.r.t. support, I have found noone yet (famous last
words) who has credibly suggested that distributing or
running binary-only applications on a GPL'd *OS* (libraries
being a separate issue) is against either the spirit or
the letter of the OS license. And as such of course
the reports of application bugs should not be on lkml.

--
Alex Bligh

Re: Developing code for ia64

[Alan Cox]

> Our product contains a pre-compiled core object (IP protection :-\ ) and a

Our operating system contains a GPL license (IP protection ...) that makes
the whole issue questionable. Remember the GPL forbids linking of non GPL
code.

> set of wrapper source files, so for dual platform support the tar ball has
> to contain both an ia32 and ia64 versions of the executable. Is there any
> way to get an ia64 compiler (and libs) installed on an ia32 machine and use
> it to get ia64 compatible binaries ?

If you are doing proprietary software please take it off this list. Perhaps
you should get a paid support contract for the compiler.

Alan

Re: Developing code for ia64

[Pavel Machek]

Hi!

> When developing kernel drivers (module) for ia64, is it necessary to do it
> on an ia64 machine ?
> Our product contains a pre-compiled core object (IP protection :-\ ) and a
> set of wrapper source files, so for dual platform support the tar ball has
> to contain both an ia32 and ia64 versions of the executable. Is there any
> way to get an ia64 compiler (and libs) installed on an ia32 machine and use
> it to get ia64 compatible binaries ?

Yes. That's called cross-compiling.
								Pavel
-- 
I'm pavel@ucw.cz. "In my country we have almost anarchy and I don't care."
Panos Katsaloulis describing me w.r.t. patents at discuss@linmodems.org

RE: Developing code for ia64

[Hen, Shmulik]

I would like to take back my question regarding this closed source
development. It is indeed not the community role to support non GPL
development and I'm sorry for bothering you. The product I was referring to
is not a hardware device driver (which are all open source).


	My apologies,
	Shmulik Hen.

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Hen, Shmulik 
> Sent:	Monday, September 10, 2001 2:18 PM
> To:	'LKML'
> Subject:	Developing code for ia64
> 
> Hi,
> 
> When developing kernel drivers (module) for ia64, is it necessary to do it
> on an ia64 machine ?
> Our product contains a pre-compiled core object (IP protection :-\ ) and a
> set of wrapper source files, so for dual platform support the tar ball has
> to contain both an ia32 and ia64 versions of the executable. Is there any
> way to get an ia64 compiler (and libs) installed on an ia32 machine and
> use it to get ia64 compatible binaries ?
> 
> 
> 	Thanks,
> 	Shmulik Hen
> 	Software Engineer
> 	Linux Advanced Networking Services
> 	Network Communications Group, Israel (NCGj)
> 	Intel Corporation Ltd.
>