Little Endian - Debian/Linux/MIPS Port
Okay, to sum up the below conversation, the questions are about the Linux
port to the Little Endian or linux-mipsel. More particularly Debain Linux
on Little Endian, or in my case of the Deskstation Tyne R4600.
Here is the story.
The Linux Source code, as I was browsing through it, has code in there
particularly noted as for the Deskstation Tyne 4600. I assume that this
support is general for little endian.
Debian Linux port group is working on a port to Big Endian. I am guessing
that everyone who can or is willing to help port Linux to Endian has the
big endian. This is of course everyone but me (I have little endian).
Generally, people have been asking me about the Little Endian port of the
Linux Kernel. Mostly asking what the status is or does it exist.
The news as I know it.
As soon as the necessary hardware comes in for the two Deskstation Tyne
MIPS R4600 Little Endian machines that my place of work owns, I am going
to begin the long haul of efforts to try and port Linux to Little Endian
(more particularly Deskstation Tyne R4600).
Whether or not my efforts will be successful is another story. I have
been told that although the code exists in the latest kernel for the
Deskstation Tyne, supposedly maintenance of that code has been sitting in
the source untouched since version 2.0.2x . I am not a kernel hacker and
any efforts of mine in trying to hack the Linux kernel to suport little
endian will no doubt be unsuccessfull.
No binaries of the Linux Kernel compiled for little endian exist in this
world (that I am aware of). Cross compilation development tools will need
to be put on a i486 machine to use for cross-compiling the Linux Kernel
Source code to run on little endian.
In Summary.
No Linux Kernel binaries exist for little endian. Whether or not a
working kernel for little endian can even be cross-compiled for the
little endian is dependant upon the current maintenance status of the
Linux kernel source code for linux-mipsel which I do not know.
So the only thing that those interested in running Linux on little endian
can do is either cross their fingers and hope things work out with my
efforts, or help develop a running port of linux on little endian which
might include cross-compiling and/or kernel hacking. The latter is
encouraged.
Also, anyone at all out there who can give me solid information about the
current maintenance status of linux-mipsel in the Linux Source code, or
what not, is appreciated.
-----russ-----
On Tue, 16 Mar 1999, Martin Schulze wrote:
:|Date: Tue, 16 Mar 1999 21:09:32 +0100
:|From: Martin Schulze <joey@finlandia.infodrom.north.de>
:|Reply-To: Martin Schulze <joey@infodrom.north.de>
:|To: Russell E Glaue <RE-Glaue@wiu.edu>, debian-mips@lists.debian.org
:|Subject: Re: Debian/Linux/MIPS Port
:|
:|[I miss some traffic here, is there any progress?]
:|
:|Ulf Carlsson wrote:
:|> > I understand that the Current MIPS code in the Linux 2.2.1 kernel includes
:|> > support for the Desksation Tyne, but I would like to know if Debian is
:|> > planning on including support for this machine in its destribution.
:|>
:|> If Debian is going to have support this machine currently depends on you as long
:|> as you are the only person who is interested in it doing it. Currently I know no
:|> other debian developers who have access to Deskstation machines. There are
:|> certainly other persons who are interested in *running* Debian/MIPS little
:|> endian.
:|>
:|> The little endian mips is named mipsel and the big endian version is named just
:|> mips. Just so you know.
:|
:|Does this mean we have to come up with binary-mips and binary-mipsel in
:|the near future?
:|
:|Regards,
:|
:| Joey
:|
:|--
:|We all know Linux is great... it does infinite loops in 5 seconds.
:| - Linus Torvalds
:|
:|Please always Cc to me when replying to me on the lists.
:|
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