From: Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton Date: Fri, 27 Mar 2020 16:10:29 +0000 (+0000) Subject: couple more sections X-Git-Url: https://git.libre-soc.org/?a=commitdiff_plain;h=cd5d1f62c396fd71ab48b3b3c85eff84a1779cf4;p=crowdsupply.git couple more sections --- diff --git a/updates/023_2020mar26_decoder_emulator_started.mdwn b/updates/023_2020mar26_decoder_emulator_started.mdwn index b92cc1b..b836e2a 100644 --- a/updates/023_2020mar26_decoder_emulator_started.mdwn +++ b/updates/023_2020mar26_decoder_emulator_started.mdwn @@ -191,7 +191,18 @@ TODO # NLNet Milestone tasks -TODO +Part of applying for NLNet's Grants is a requirement to create a list +of tasks, each of which is assigned a budget. On 100% completion of the task, +donations can be sent out. With *six* new proposals accepted, each of which +required between five (minimum) and *ninteen* separate and distinct tasks, +a call with Michiel and Joost turned into an unexpected three hour online +marathon, scrambling to write almost fifty bugreports as part of the Schedule +to be attached to each Memorandum of Understanding. The mailing list +got a [leeetle bit busy](http://lists.libre-riscv.org/pipermail/libre-riscv-dev/2020-March/005003.html) +right around here. + +Which emphasised for us the important need to subdivide the mailing list into +separate lists (below). # Georgia Tech CREATE-X @@ -275,7 +286,58 @@ that we will be using for LibreSOC's 180nm test tape-out in October 2020.) # Public-Inbox and Domain Migration -TODO +As mentioned before, one of the important aspects of this project is +the documentation and archiving. It also turns out that when working +over an extremely unreliable or ultra-expensive mobile broadband link, +having *local* (offline) access to every available development resource +is critically important. + +Hence why we are going to the trouble of installing public-inbox, due +to its ability to not only have a mailing list entirely stored in a +git repository, the "web service" which provides access to that git-backed +archive can be not only mirrored elsewhere, it can be *run locally on +your own offline machine*. This in combination with the right mailer +setup can store-and-forward any replies to the (offline-copied) messages, + +Now you know why we absolutely do not accept "slack", or other proprietary +"online oh-so-convenient" service. Not only is it highly inappropriate for +Libre Projects, not only do we become critically dependent on the Corporation +running the service (yes, github has been entirely offline, several times), +if we have remote developers (such as myself, working from Scotland last +month with sporadic access to a single Cell Tower) or developers in emerging +markets where their only internet access is via a Library or Internet Cafe, +we absolutely do not want to exclude or penalise such people, just because +they have less resources. + +Fascinatingly, Linus Torvals is *specifically* +[on record](https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/line-length-limits) +about making sure that "Linux development does not favour wealthy people". + + +TODO (Veera?) bit about what was actually done, how it links into mailman2. + +# OpenPOWER HDL Mailing List opens up + +It is early days, however it is fantastic to see responses from IBM with +regards to requests for access to the POWER ISA Specification +documents in +[machine-readable form](http://lists.mailinglist.openpowerfoundation.org/pipermail/openpower-hdl-cores/2020-March/000007.html) +I took Jeff at his word and explained, in some detail, +[exactly why](http://lists.mailinglist.openpowerfoundation.org/pipermail/openpower-hdl-cores/2020-March/000008.html) +machine readable versions of specifications are critically important. + +The takeaway is: *we haven't got time to do manual transliteration of the spec* +into "code". We're expending considerable effort making sure that we +"bounce" or "bootstrap" off of pre-existing resources, using computer +programs to do so. + +This "trick" is something that I learned over 20 years ago, when developing +an SMB Client and Server in something like two weeks flat. I wrote a +parser which read the packet formats *from the IETF Draft Specification*, +and outputted c-code. + +This leaves me wondering, as I mention on the HDL list, if we can do the same +thing with large sections of the POWER Spec. # Build Servers