@Andreas_Wolf


Blame game continues post AmiWest speeches:

Source

#6

> It is possible that a more complete account of events will be offered
> at AmiWest 2018.

From a month ago:

"- Designed and wrote an AmigaOS driver template, with its first implementation targeting writing Ethernet Drivers.
- Wrote and released the native Ethernet driver for the AmigaONE A1222 (through Hyperion).
- Implemented about 80% of a native DPAA Ethernet driver for the AmigaONE X5000 (working with Hyperion to enhance support for the X5000 and A1222 hardware and complete the DPAA driver)."
http://bitbybitsoftwaregroup.com

Speaking of Tabor, it seems that they are finally removing SPE support from GCC(8) ...

git://gcc.gnu.org / gcc.git / commitdiff

Quote:


Ah, thats what everybody at HAIPAHAIPA has been waiting for !!

> they are finally removing SPE support from GCC(8)

Discussions on deprecating it already in GCC7 started 2 years ago:

https://gcc.gnu.org/ml/gcc/2017-02/msg00041.html
https://gcc.gnu.org/ml/gcc-patches/2017-05/msg01227.html

The deprecation was then postponed to GCC8:

https://gcc.gnu.org/ml/gcc-patches/2018-04/msg00810.html
https://gcc.gnu.org/ml/gcc/2018-04/msg00102.html

GCC9 is supposed to have it removed completely:

https://gcc.gnu.org/ml/gcc/2018-11/msg00078.html
https://gcc.gnu.org/ml/gcc-patches/2018-12/msg00123.html

As can be imagined, the maintainer of Debian for powerpcspe in general (and Tabor/A1222 in particular) has not been amused about this decision:

https://gcc.gnu.org/ml/gcc/2018-04/msg00107.html
https://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=81084 (see comments)

The official GCC8 page has this information since March at least:

"The PowerPC SPE support is split off to a separate powerpcspe port. The separate port is deprecated and might be removed in a future release."

Quote:
It got deprecated in GCC 8, but is still included there. It got removed from 9.1.x now ( klick)

As this is a very important matter, Phoronix had also a news posting about it.

> Phoronix had also a news posting about it. ;-)

It's just unsettling that they don't seem to know the e500 and its SPE have nothing to do with IBM and are pure Motorola/Freescale/NXP things.

Addendum:

> the MAC address issue is specific to X5000/Cyrus.

More info:

https://forum.hyperion-entertainment.com/viewtopic.php?p=47026#p47026
https://forum.hyperion-entertainment.com/viewtopic.php?p=49886#p49886


Edit: added another link

[ Edited by Andreas_Wolf 21.09.2020 - 19:08 ]

Update:

>> they are finally removing SPE support from GCC(8)

> GCC9 is supposed to have it removed completely: [...] the maintainer
> of Debian for powerpcspe in general (and Tabor/A1222 in particular)
> has not been amused about this decision: [...]

The maintainer of Debian for powerpcspe would like to remove the powerpcspe port in the near future:

https://lists.debian.org/debian-powerpc/2019/05/msg00125.html
https://lists.debian.org/debian-powerpc/2019/05/msg00128.html

While powerpcspe support got removed from gcc it meanwhile got added in llvm/clang (klick). But this does not matter much for Debian as they use gcc as system compiler.

To be happy again the Debian powerpcspe maintainer just needs to quit and start as powerpcspe FreeBSD maintainer, all is fine then.

Quote:

FreeBSD on a P1022? I'd buy a cheap Zen2 based system first.

BTW - You have some really nice toys!

> FreeBSD on a P1022? I'd buy a cheap Zen2 based system first.

Going by that logic, the loss of Debian support for P1022 is a non-issue as well :-)

Quote:
Thanks! I actually play with these toys on a daily basis, one or the other.

Zen2 based != cheap.
If you want cheap you should look for 2nd hand AMD FX 4x00/6x00 rigs. I got a board+CPU+RAM combo (FX 6300) for just 50 € for a friend. Surely an improvement over his old Phenom II X4.

BTT - the P1022 really may have a better future on FreeBSD than on Debian:
a.) FreeBSD runs on Big Endian PowerPC
b.) llvm/clang is the system compiler since FreeBSD 10.0
c.) powerpcspe is supported as target arch since llvm/clang 7.0.1

Quote:

I was trying to use FreeBSD few years before on powermac G5, but don't succeed to install desktop (some compiller errors). I am also using NetBSD on my old Pegasos2. Nice, stable, reliable.

If Tabor ever be relesed, I definitely buy one. For joy and support. And of course, I will install FreeBSD

Quote:

Yes, I moved from a Phenom X4 that could be unlocked to an X6 then to an FX6300. Gtood stuff, and Zen still buries it.
A cheap 4 core/8 thread Zen2 will be the bargain of the year.
Higher core count cpus with be awesome.

So, would I want to run a PPC at 1/3rd the clock speed with 1/4 of the threads at a higher cost?
Don't think so.

Quote:
Ah yes, I shall definitely try NetBSD again when I have some time! Even had it running on my A4000/060 once. Was nice to see it running, but it was of course no speed king. I can imagine it performs defenctly on a G4 or faster PPCs.

Quote:
I think it's not about specifically buying some low-end/midrange PPC to run Linux/BSD on it. Altough some people still do it. This is more the domain of the ARM-SBCs nowadays.

It's more about all of us here already got some low-end/midrange PPC to run MorphPS/OS4 on. Why not try another OS on it? In my case it is really helpful that the PowerBook G4 can run both MorphOS and Linux since I got no other Laptop. You get additional software for free if you install Linux/BSD. It's not necessary for me to buy a 'proper' amd64 laptop just to run a Linux on it which my PB already does.

Zen2 sure has a good price/performance ratio, no doubt. But Zen only shines when using AVX2 optimizations. The high core count is good for nothing. It's only hyperhtreading, you will realize this when actually utilizing all cores. The Zen1 1700 I had was slower in some tasks compared to the Opteron 6380 I still have (both advertising 16 cores). Also it got this HT-Bug the 1st Zen generation had (AMD kindly replaced it with a newer model).

@ernsteiswuerfel:

Yes, my PPC hardware is used for the same purpose.
Buying a Tabor board for Linux or BSD use would just be stupid.

And from what I've seen on Zen2 optimizations, there is lot more than you are giving AMD credit for.

Although...I'm just glad to see the low watt draw lower end parts.
My Phenom and FX cpus were way too hot.

And I'm finally ditching one old motherboard with an Athlon 64 X2 that I'm using as a media server, as a $100 Zen2 with a cheap motherboard will be several times more competant.

Update:

> The maintainer of Debian for powerpcspe would like to remove
> the powerpcspe port in the near future: [...]

Done as of 5 days ago.

> Waiting on the Audio driver and final OS 4.1 ISO.

"AFAIK it is some other component - a more central one than the soundcard driver - that causes problems on the Tabor."
https://amigaworld.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=43395&forum=33&start=40#826978

Update:

> https://amigaworld.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=43395&forum=33&start=40#826978

"We have a floating point emulation bug to fix which is very annoying"
https://amigaworld.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=43487&forum=2#828499

"We are continuing work on [the Tabor audio driver] again after a long hiatus."
https://amigaworld.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=43487&forum=2#828498

Update:

"The Limited Edition A1222 Plus Early Adopter boards are expected to ship around the end of the first quarter of 2020**. (**subject to change)
For more information on A1222 Plus pre-registration options please visit www.a1222plus.com which will be live in the next few days."
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EMd8_tfVUAAIX79.jpg:orig
http://blog.a-eon.biz/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/A1222Plus.jpg

Quote:



Why are they writing "Commodore" here? Parasite marketing? AFAIR Commodore *never* used the term "bundle" to merely sell a display box with merchandise and refurbished SW a quarter ahead of the real product might appear, "(** Subject to change)" of course, and then *not even granting* you a delivery of the real product if it ever appears, but rather a possibility to order one (paying extra) should it happen (on a first come first serve basis, which means no guarantees of actually getting one), or a 20% pre-payment scheme. I'm sorry, but the way I see it, this is not at all very "Commodore"-like, and not at all how the word "bundle" is normally used. It seems possible to purchase the "bundle" but *without even getting* the real product that the bundle is supposed to be merged with. Dodgy.

Commodore sell Amiga 1200 BUNDLE called Magic Box with Personal Paint and WordWorth.
Yes it is Commodore tradition.