RE: [ros-svn] [ion] 19196: - Add new configuration option "SARCH" todefine the sub-architecture. Examples include i386-xbox, ppc-be/le (little/bigendian), or any other sub-types of the specified ARCH.

[Ge van Geldorp]

> From: [e-mail]
> Add new configuration option "SARCH" to define the
>
> sub-architecture. Examples include i386-xbox, ppc-be/le 
> (little/bigendian), or any other sub-types of the specified ARCH.

This means we will have to build, test and distribute different .isos for
different sub-architectures, only to save a few bytes in the
freeldr/setupldr binaries. I implemented calling of sub-architecture
specific code via a table of function pointers precisely to be able to keep
one binary (per architecture).
Please revert.

Gé van Geldorp.

[Alex Ionescu]

Ge van Geldorp wrote:
> > From: [e-mail]
> > Add new configuration option "SARCH" to define the
> >
> > sub-architecture. Examples include i386-xbox, ppc-be/le 
> > (little/bigendian), or any other sub-types of the specified ARCH.
>
> This means we will have to build, test and distribute different .isos for
> different sub-architectures,

That day will come one day or another.
> only to save a few bytes in the
> freeldr/setupldr binaries.

More then "few", and it wasn't only for Freeloader. I am a man of 
vision; I thought of this and its long-term effects. I'm sure they'll 
become apparent in a year or two when we start supporting other 
architectures and sub-architectures.
> I implemented calling of sub-architecture
> specific code via a table of function pointers precisely to be able to keep
> one binary (per architecture).

Not that I mind the design (which is very well made) but there as many 
"anti-"FAT"-binaries" arguments as there are 
"anti-segregated-binaries"... and I don't want to start a war on which 
design ReactOS is going to support. But since you did most of the recent 
work on Freeloader and the XEN/XBOX ports, I consider you Freeloader's 
current maintainer and your choice is final to me.
> Please revert.

Done, thanks for the clear communication on your disagreement.
> Gé van Geldorp.

Best regards,
Alex Ionescu
> Ros-dev mailing list
> [e-mail]
> http://www.reactos.org/mailman/listinfo/ros-dev

[Thomas Weidenmueller]

Alex Ionescu wrote:
> That day will come one day or another.

How many so totally incompatible subarchitectures are there? I liked the
way we did it before, not having to have to build multiple versions for
similar architectures.
> More then "few", and it wasn't only for Freeloader. I am a man of
> vision; I thought of this and its long-term effects. I'm sure they'll
> become apparent in a year or two when we start supporting other
> architectures and sub-architectures.

I wouldn't consider the xbox as a subarchitecture, detecting it on the
fly imo is much better than having to build separate binaries. They're
not totally incompatible. Although the idea of subarchitectures is a
good one, i'd really just use it for "real" subarchitectures.

Just my two cents...

- Thomas

[Thomas Weidenmueller]

Ge van Geldorp wrote:
> This means we will have to build, test and distribute different .isos for
> different sub-architectures, only to save a few bytes in the
> freeldr/setupldr binaries.

I don't think it was about saving a few bytes because actually the size
of the binary increased by 4 kb (at r19202).

- Thomas