Re: mips64el in testing

On 06/03/16 01:21, Aurelien Jarno wrote:
> On 2016-03-05 17:40, Emilio Pozuelo Monfort wrote:
>> Hi,
>
> Hi,
>
>> So mips64el got into unstable on ftpmaster a while ago. I suppose you would like
>> for it to get into testing and released with Stretch. Is that right?
>
> Yes, that is right.
>
>> If so, db5.3 needs to get built, as that's the last package that got imported
>> and hasn't been rebuilt since:
>>
>> https://ftp-master.debian.org/users/mhy/mipsel64import.txt
>
> Ok, we'll look at this one.
>
>> Also, it'd be good if you could give us information on what the status of the
>> port is, e.g. upstream support on the kernel, libc and toolchain, what DDs / DMs
>> are behind the port, etc.
>
> The mips64el port is the natural evolution of the mipsel port,
> following the tendency of all architectures to go to 64 bits. This
> breaks the 2GiB virtual memory limit from 32-bit MIPS, which
> unfortunately is triggered more and more often on the build daemons.
> At the same time this port also takes the opportunity to increase the
> required instruction set from MIPS II to MIPS64R2 for a better use of
> the hardware. This port we'll eventually replaces the mipsel port,
> though we don't have any plan to drop it yet.
>
> The upstream support is basically the same than for 32-bit MIPS. MIPS
> hardware is 64-bit capable for a lot of time, and in fact all the Debian
> build daemons and porterboxes have been running a 64-bit kernel for more
> than 10 years. There is no change on that side. The 64-bit toolchain was
> already available in the mipsel port using the tri-arch libraries.
>
> The Debian Developers (Cc:ed) behind this port are:
> - Andi Barth <[email protected]>
> - Anibal Monsalve Salazar <[email protected]>
> - Aurelien Jarno <[email protected]>
> - Aron Xu <[email protected]>
> - James Cowgill <[email protected]>
> - Yunqiang Su <[email protected]>
> In addition there are regular help from non-DD people from Imagination
> Technologies.
>
> The port itself is in a good shape, that said we are still lacking DSAed
> build daemons (and thus autosigning). It is built mostly on 4 machines,
> 3 hosted in China by Aron Xu and 1 hosted in Germany by Andi Barth. In
> addition the mipsel build daemons also build mips64el packages as the
> lowest priority. The porterbox etler.d.o has both mipsel and mips64el
> chroots. We are waiting for Octeon III hardware sponsored by Imagination
> Technologies that will be used for the 3 MIPS ports (they are able to
> boot on both endianness). That is the last blocker on our side and that
> is why we haven't requested to get mips64el into testing yet.

Thanks for the update. I have updated 
https://release.debian.org/stretch/arch_qualify.html with this information.

Indeed getting some hardware administered by DSA would be a requirement. Also 
getting the final package rebuilt, as I indicated.

Please let us know when those issues get sorted out.

Cheers,
Emilio