MobileKarmicArmelToolchain

Revision 2 as of 2009-06-24 16:13:36

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Summary

Discussion of karmic toolchain changes and associated dependencies.

Release Note

The 9.10 armel port requires for ARMv6 and VFP and is optimized for Cortex A8.

Rationale

The Ubuntu armel port targets use cases such as netbook for upcoming ARMv7 hardware. The toolchain needs to be setup for the highest family as possible to rip the most benefits of this hardware.

User stories

TBD

Assumptions

TBD

Design

The toolchain need to be setup to output code for the oldest ARM CPU we want to support, while still tuning for the most common we want to support.

buildds (including livefs builders) need to be able to run the generated code (as is often the case across package builds or when building images).

The consensus is to support down to ARMv6 and to tune for ARMv7 (Cortex A8 by lack of anything more generic), and to require a VFP unit (hardware FPU).

Implementation

First, setup buildd network supporting the ABI, then switch the toolchain to output the new ABI, finally rebuild key packages which would benefit from the optimizations.

Buildd network

UI Changes

N/A

Code Changes

Code changes should include an overview of what needs to change, and in some cases even the specific details.

Migration

Include:

  • data migration, if any
  • redirects from old URLs to new ones, if any
  • how users will be pointed to the new way of doing things, if necessary.

Test/Demo Plan

It's important that we are able to test new features, and demonstrate them to users. Use this section to describe a short plan that anybody can follow that demonstrates the feature is working. This can then be used during testing, and to show off after release. Please add an entry to http://testcases.qa.ubuntu.com/Coverage/NewFeatures for tracking test coverage.

This need not be added or completed until the specification is nearing beta.

Unresolved issues

This should highlight any issues that should be addressed in further specifications, and not problems with the specification itself; since any specification with problems cannot be approved.

BoF agenda and discussion

Use this section to take notes during the BoF; if you keep it in the approved spec, use it for summarising what was discussed and note any options that were rejected.

CategorySpec