Date: Fri, 30 Oct 1998 10:48:24 -0500 From: "Stephane E. Potvin" <sepotvin@videotron.ca> To: Doug Rabson <dfr@nlsystems.com> Cc: Mike Smith <mike@smith.net.au>, Hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: FreeBSD arm port Message-ID: <3639DFC8.7C3AE9FB@videotron.ca> References: <Pine.BSF.4.01.9810301036260.366-100000@herring.nlsystems.com>
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Doug Rabson wrote:
>
> On Thu, 29 Oct 1998, Mike Smith wrote:
>
> > > Also, some pointers as to what are the main steps for doing such a port
> > > (FreeBSD port as a whole) would be greatly appreciated.
> >
> > Crucial to bringing up any new port is the ability to tighten the build/
> > debug cycle. If you have an emulator, that's excellent. If you can
> > boot diskless, that's almost as good. Copying kernels onto floppies and
> > lugging them back and forth gets old _really_ quick.
>
> The best debugging environment is definately a simulator (but only if it
> has good hooks into gdb). Netbooting with serial-line debugging runs a
> close second.
>
> I used the excellent SimOS simulator exclusively in the early stages of
> the FreeBSD/alpha port and was able to get the thing to boot all the way
> to single-user mode and run a few commands before I touched a real
> machine. That really shortened the debug time for the real hardware.
>
> The SimOS simulator currently supports various mips and alpha cpus.
> Future versions will have other cpus but the SimOS folks will be able to
> give you an idea.
>
I've just checked with their home page but unfortunately they don't
seems to have any support yet for ARM architectures. I guess netbooting
with serial debugger will have to do for a start...
> >
> > You want to start with a skeleton of the new system-specific code, and
> > flesh it out as you go. The first goal is to get enough infrastructure
> > in place to build the kernel. The alpha port is probably a good place
> > to look first, as it's only just starting to put on weight, and has a
> > lot of new architectural stuff in it.
>
> I think that cloning the alpha port and hacking it is as good a way to
> start as any. Make sure you have current source trees for the NetBSD and
> Linux kernel too for cross reference. You have a steep learning curve
> ahead - good luck!
Thanks, I'm pretty sure I'll need all I can find :)
Stephane E. Potvin
Galea Network Security.
---
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