x86_64 BSP as GSOC2016 project

[Joel Sherrill]

On Tue, Feb 9, 2016 at 12:08 PM, Saket Sinha <saket.sinha89 at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I think this is early for this but I need to enquire if x86_64_BSP (
> https://devel.rtems.org/wiki/Developer/Projects/Open/x86_64_BSP )
> could be taken as a GSOC project this year.
>
>
Yes. Assuming you mean the x86_64 bit port and accompanying BSP.

If you noticed my post yesterday, we have tripped across a new embedded PC
without legacy PCI BIOS support.

Beyond the obvious port, for the purposes of your effort, there are
a couple of bugs and some modernization needed by the pc386 BSP which
you will likely have to address.

+ PCI BIOS uses legacy support. Needs to support new and old for 32-bit
and new only for 64 bit.
+ Better APIC support. pc386 uses legacy PIC and some LPIC for SMP.
Probably Ok for both 32 and 64 bit to support APIC only.
+ i386 does not have Thread Local Support. Both should have it.
+ i386 has a ticket for SMP synchronization during context switch.
The code does not use atomics. Should be fixed and x86_64 follow the
correct pattern.

Basically x86_64 should assume a modern (non-legacy) PC and pc386
needs updating to support newer systems. Common hardware platform
so hopefully the software is standard.

I was going to write this up as a "PC386 Modernization" Project but some
of it makes sense as a side-effect of your project. That project idea also
included killing AT bus NICs which you wouldn't have any reason to get
near.

You need a subtask list (e.g. todo list) and we need to help you flesh it
out. I only hit a few non-obvious highlights.

Does that help?



> Regards,
> Saket Sinha
> _______________________________________________
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> devel at rtems.org
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