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The Linux Kernel Seeing Rare Code Activity Around SPARC64

• warrenm 1y ago
  People are still running enough SPARC64 for it to be worthy of updates?
  • indigodaddy 1y ago
    You'd be surprised. It's still pretty prevalent at certain telecoms.
    • mrpippy 1y ago
      Running Linux? And up-to-date kernels? Even if no one’s using it, it’s ok for the kernel to be supported and improved.
      • indigodaddy 1y ago
        Well, no, not running Linux, my bad.
  • deleted 1y ago
    [deleted]
  • MobiusHorizons 1y ago
    the update is to make it use the same codepaths as other targets so that it requires less maintenance
    • warrenm 1y ago
      How much "maintenance" could be required, given how long it has been past manufacture?
• MobiusHorizons 1y ago
  > SPARC64 was the last architecture not using the generic vDSO library code that in turn prevented some necessary code clean-ups. With this patch series transitioning the SPARC code to the generic vDSO infrastructure saves several hundred lines of code and slightly reducing the SPARC maintenance burden.
• mikece 1y ago
  "Due to SPARC International, SPARC is fully open, non-proprietary and royalty-free." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SPARC https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SPARC So why are fabs not making open source SPARC processors instead of RISC-V?
  • jlokier 1y ago
    Here's one company that makes both. Their LEON processors are SPARC, and their NOEL processors are RISC-V. https://www.gaisler.com/#reliable_computing_systems https://www.gaisler.com/#reliable_computing_systems