Re: x86 fpu

[hjl at lucon dot org (H.J. Lu)]

> 
> >>>>> "Mark" == Mark Kettenis <kettenis@wins.uva.nl> writes:
> Mark> HJ, what else will have to happen with GDB before you will
> Mark> consider dropping your special Linux GDB based on 4.17?  IMHO we
> Mark> should make sure that the Linux community starts doing their GDB
> Mark> development based on the current CVS version as soom as
> Mark> possible.
> 
> I believe that H.J.'s private versions of the GNU toolchain have been
> a great disservice to both the GNU/Linux and the larger GNU community.

I certainly don't agree :-). It is a pain for me to maintain my
private versions. But I hate to see the Linux people nowhere to
go for help. Do you really honestly believe that a new official
version should be made whenever a serious Linux related bug is
fixed or we have to live with the bug which mainly affects Linux?

> 
> Whatever short term advantage may be gained by having private versions
> is far outweighed by the long term consequences.  All the consequences
> may not even be evident to the person or organization that created the
> splinter branch.
> 
> * Users are not adequately informed that they are using a splinter
>   version, and send bug reports, requests for help, etc. to people
>   who are unable to help them.

I never misled anyone. Are you really ready to devote your time
to support the Linux community? I screen the Linux bug reports
first and forward them to appropriate people if I cannot help
them myself.

> 
> * Users cannot use the most current software when it is released, but
>   must wait until it is incorporated into the splinter version.

The offical GNU software is not for Linux only. It may not have
all the Linux related bug fixes and features. Do you want to
delay a release just because of Linux?

> 
> * Users of the official version of the software do not benefit from
>   the enhancements found only in the splinter version.

I have been sending my patches to the appropriate people. But they
don't work only for Linux. My patches have to wait, but Linux cann't.
It is not that unusual to take a few months or more for my patches
to be installed.  What do we do?

> 
> * Pontential contributors cannot track the development snapshots,
>   because support for their (host and/or target) system requires
>   changes from the splinter version.

Please talk to Linux/PPC and Linux/i370 people.

> 
> * Less time is available for improving the software because more time
>   is necessary for managing divergence.  This is difficult enough when
>   all of the changes have been written by one person, or from one org-
>   anization, but the recordkeeping burden is even greater when changes
>   from many unrelated people (since copyright assignments are required
>   for any substantial changes).
> 
>   When divergence is carefully managed, it is relatively "easy" to
>   isolate individual changes to submit patches.
> 
>   The problem is that this feeds on itself.  If there is no time to
>   submit changes, refining them when required, etc.; the divergence
>   grows and it becomes even more difficult.  Eventually the threshold
>   grows so high that it is extremely unlikely that the differences
>   will ever be resolved.

Most of my changes have been sent in. I don't bother to send new
ones since

1. Old ones are still pending.
2. New ones are still changing.

I will work with everyone to merge my changes. But it doesn't mean
I will stop working for the Linux community. We have different
priorities. That is life.


H.J.