[U-Boot-Users] Breakage of board ports on new features.

[Tolunay Orkun]

Kumar Gala wrote:
>
> On Dec 4, 2006, at 7:13 PM, Tolunay Orkun wrote:
>
>> Kumar Gala wrote:
>>> On Dec 4, 2006, at 5:20 PM, Timur Tabi wrote:
>>>> Wolfgang Denk wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Are you absolutely sure we will *never* want to make a difference
>>>>> between a MPC8349 and any other type of MPC834x?
>>>>> What is the exact problem you're addressing?
>>>> I think Kumar's point is that the code that's correctly marked 
>>>> with  CONFIG_MPC8349 is not 8349-specific.  It's 834x-specific, and 
>>>> there  already is a macro for 834x.  If someone were to add support 
>>>> for an  8343 or 8347, they would need to apply Kumar's patch anyway.
>>>>
>>>> *IF* some of this code is really 8349-specific, then the person  
>>>> adding support for the 8343 or 8347 would need to modify this code  
>>>> again.  However, I don't think that's going to happen.
>>> This is exactly what I'm saying.  The CONFIG_MPC8349 was too 
>>> specific  and really meant CONFIG_MPC834X and thus I changed it.  
>>> If/when  someone's got something that is MPC8349 specific they can 
>>> re- introduce CONFIG_MPC8349.
>>
>> The AMCC 4XX based boards we define CONFIG_PPC4XX (for the family) as 
>> well as CONFIG_PPC405GP (for example) for specific processor support. 
>> The X'd version is used to enable common code while the specific 
>> version is used whenever divergences exist from the common code. 
>> Right now there might not be a specific difference from MPC8349 code 
>> but it might be good to define both MPC8349 and MPC834X for sake of 
>> consistency and for future proofing. Without defining the specific 
>> version when it is time to introduce that divergence you would wonder 
>> what boards were using the MPC8349 and what not (unless the board 
>> name gives it away).
>
> The concept is nice, but I think we should add it when its needed.  
> The differences between the MPC834X family of processors are handled 
> by features and not by specifying the specific processor.  This is 
> because even on the specific processor you can choose to enable or 
> disable the feature (PCI2, 32/64-bit ddr, etc.).

Well, you can have still have the feature enable/disable. The 
CONFIG_MPC8349 or whatever would make sure the feature could not be 
applied on a cpu architecture/platform that is not applicable. Basically 
it prevents configuration errors.

>
> When someone comes up with a good reason for having a CONFIG_MPC8349 
> then we should add it, until then I think its likely to get used 
> incorrectly (as it already has been).

What I am saying is that you should rename existing CONFIG_MPC8349 to 
CONFIG_MPC834X and only on the boards that actually use 8349 define the 
CONFIG_MPC8349 (in addition, not in lieu of). Of course other boards 
using other member (8343, 8347) need to have their specific 
CONFIG_MPC8343 and CONFIG_MPC8347 options defined appropriately as well 
(again in addition to CONFIG_MPC834X). It is better to do this while the 
number of boards is small.

Anyway, I just pointed to the existing practice in U-Boot. In the end, 
it's probably Wolfgang's decision as U-Boot project leader.

Tolunay