From owner-freebsd-sparc64@FreeBSD.ORG Sun Aug 31 00:58:50 2008 Return-Path: Delivered-To: sparc64@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 60DED1065691 for ; Sun, 31 Aug 2008 00:58:50 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from jb@what-creek.com) Received: from what-creek.com (what-creek.com [66.111.37.70]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 3B6AB8FC08 for ; Sun, 31 Aug 2008 00:58:50 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from jb@what-creek.com) Received: by what-creek.com (Postfix, from userid 102) id 8B1D7742D0; Sun, 31 Aug 2008 00:42:40 +0000 (GMT) Date: Sun, 31 Aug 2008 00:42:40 +0000 From: John Birrell To: fbsd-sparc64@bzerk.org Message-ID: <20080831004240.GA48524@what-creek.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.2.3i Cc: sparc64@freebsd.org Subject: Re: DTrace on sparc64 X-BeenThere: freebsd-sparc64@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Porting FreeBSD to the Sparc List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sun, 31 Aug 2008 00:58:50 -0000 Hi Ruben, There are currently no patches to support running DTrace on FreeBSD/sparc64 because I only have access to a T2000 (that Sun sent to me) and a T1000 that the FreeBSD Foundation contributed to the FreeBSD cluster. Unfortunately, the sun4v is pretty much dead in the water. I've tried to figure out where the bug is, but it requires a smart person who can read the code and check if it complies with the T1 spec. It's hard to debug because I can't trap the bug even using the hypervisor traps. For sparc processors prior to the T1 which I assume you are asking about, I'd need access to a machine to make any headway. Obviously the code exists in OpenSolaris to support DTrace on sparc, so there is a reference to work to. The implementation gets a bit complicated because we can't add any CDDL code to the GENERIC kernel, so we need to implement hooks that are BSD licensed that allow the CDDL code to register itself. I'd really like to see other people working to develop this code. One person working on such a major feature is a huge bottleneck. I know that pjd@ has the same problem with ZFS. He'd love to have other people contributing too. To be honest, although I respect Sun Microsystems' contribution to the free software community, Sparc support isn't high on my agenda because I think that a lot of people who want to use Sun hardware will use OpenSolaris. After all, it's free too. MIPS has recently sent me their reference board, the MALTA, and MIPS support in FreeBSD is actively being developed, so my highest priority on the DTrace front is to do the MIPS port. -- John Birrell