Using Debian funds to support a gcc development task
Hello!
I'm posting here on behalf the Debian Ports team as we're seeking support
to finance an important development task in gcc. In particular, I'm talking
about the one-time job to modernize the m68k backend by porting it from "CC0"
to "MODE_CC" as described in [1].
In the future, gcc upstream expects all backends to be using MODE_CC for the
internal register representation as the old CC0 is supposed to be removed.
Since the lack of modernization would eventually mean that m68k support would
get removed from gcc, I'm currently running a campaign to prevent that. I
have already opened a tracker bug upstream in gcc's bugzilla [2] as well as
linked the issue to BountySource [3].
As m68k is the oldest port of both the Linux kernel and Debian after i386,
it would be a shame to see it go as there is still very good upstream support
in the Linux kernel with new drivers being added regularly [4], even to Linus'
surprise.
I have already gained multiple supporters on the largest German Amiga forum
a1k.org as well some people through the Debian/m68k mailing list. We haven't
started with the funding itself yet since we still need to coordinate some
things first, the primary decision being which funding platform we are going
to use.
Since Debian is also supporting projects for a good cause using their funds,
I was wondering whether the project would also be willing to help support
our cause to modernize the m68k backend in Debian with a single donation,
I thought of something around $1000 to $5000 depending on how much the project
is willing to spend.
We already have a potential developer to work on the task who has a lot of
experience with gcc and of whom I'm confident he can solve this task before
gcc-11 is going to be released.
I have already talked to the DPL personally and he recommended me to ask on
debian-project to receive feedback from a broader audience of the Debian
project.
So, would -project be willing to support our cause through Debian funds?
Thanks,
Adrian
> [1] https://gcc.gnu.org/wiki/CC0Transition
> [2] https://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=91851
> [3] https://www.bountysource.com/issues/80706251-m68k-convert-the-backend-to-mode_cc-so-it-can-be-kept-in-future-releases
> [4] https://lkml.org/lkml/2019/9/24/993
--
.''`. John Paul Adrian Glaubitz
: :' : Debian Developer - glaubitz@debian.org
`. `' Freie Universitaet Berlin - glaubitz@physik.fu-berlin.de
`- GPG: 62FF 8A75 84E0 2956 9546 0006 7426 3B37 F5B5 F913
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