Re: linux-2.6.17.4 and Xilinx Virtex

Let's move this conversation over to the linuxppc-embedded mailing list

On 7/8/06, Sass, Ronald [off-list ref] wrote:

Hello Grant,

 I noticed that somewhere between 2.6.11 and 2.6.17 you started
 adding support to the Linux kernel for some Virtex-* based boards
 to the Linux kernel.  I've got some hacked up kernel mods for the
 ML-310 (and soon) ML-410 boards that I am trying to clean up for
 sharing.  I've never directly contributed to the kernel, so all of
 this is new to me.  I had a couple of questions about the direction
 you are taking:

I've got some things that I still need to clean up.  As it stands
right now, I've done some brain-dead stuff with the ppc_sys
infrastructure which I really should fix.

 (1)  I noticed that you restructured
arch/ppc/platforms/4xx/xparameters
      to support multiple boards.  That's cool.  Do you use XPS/EDK to
      update these files or do you just change the xparameters.h `by
      hand' for each base system?

No; unfortunately EDK does not support generating a BSP for linux 2.6.
 I generate a 2.4 bsp into a clean directory and then copy
xparameters_ml300.h into the 2.6 tree.

 (2)  I also noticed that the CONFIG_XILINX_VIRTEX_II_PRO (and files
      arch/ppc/platforms/4xx/virtex_ii_pro.[ch]) changed to
be just
      CONFIG_XILINX_VIRTEX (and
arch/ppc/platforms/4xx/virtex.[ch]).
      Is this change intended to be more generic to support V2P,
      V-4, and V-5 devices?

Yes

 (3)  I also noticed that even though CONFIG_XILINX_VIRTEX was added,
      the option CONFIG_XILINX_VIRTEX_II_PRO is still in the .config
      file.  As far as I can tell, the "VIRTEX_II_PRO" option is not
      referenced in the source.  Should it be removed?

I don't think so; but others may disagree.  The macro is convenient
for determining exactly which virtex part is being compiled for.  Plus
it give a clean dependancy hierarchy from board->part->part family.  I
left it in as a mirror to the XILINX_VIRTEX_4 macro which is in use.

 Thanks for taking the initative here!  Do you know, is there anyone
 else trying to formally incorporate Xilinx boards into the stock
 kernel.org source tree?

I hear rumors that MontaVista will be merging their virtex-II/virtex-4
support into mainline real-soon-now.

Cheers,
g.

-- 
Grant Likely, B.Sc. P.Eng.
Secret Lab Technologies Ltd.
grant.likely@secretlab.ca
(403) 399-0195