[ACTIVITY] (Dave Martin) weeks 22 - 23 2011 (2011-05-30 - 2011-06-10)

[Dave Martin]

== Dave Martin <dmart> ==

=== General Activity ===
 * Some kernel patch work:

    * Proposed a couple of suggestions for avoiding
      misalignment of data structures in assembler.

    * Some discussion with Will Deacon on a generic backend for
      turning the MMU off so that this doesn't have to be
      reinvented by kexec and hibernation code.  (There seems
      to be no reasonably correct implementation of this in the
      kernel as yet, which is one of the reasons kexec has
      never worked reliably for ARM.)

    * Investigating how the kernel boot protocol can be
      clarified for better Thumb-2 compatibility.

 * More activity on minor bugs in gas:

    * http://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=12848
      (ARM: Thumb-2: Range check on b.w is off by a factor of
      2)

    * http://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=12854
      (ARM: Nonsensical argument shift specifications accepted
      for LSL/LSR/ASR/ROR mnemonics)

=== linaro-kernel-o-standard-arch ===

 * Testing of the linux-linaro-2.6.39 and linux-linaro-oneiric
   trees with Thumb-2:

    * Generic Thumb-2 booting didn't work because of breakage
      by a random patch.  Spent some time trying to debug
      this-- Now fixed by a patch from Nicolas Pitre.  (He beat
      me to it!)

    * vexpress now works in Thumb-2
    * OMAP new works in Thumb-2
    * mx51evk status still to be determined

 * Did some investigation into what mx51evk is using FIQ for.
   Some compatibility issues for Thumb-2: still need to follow
   up with the the imx guys.

=== Plans ===

 * Ping John Rigby again re enabling Thumb-2 for the vexpress
   kernel.

 * Check whether the new kernel trees work in Thumb-2 on
   mx51evk and follow up with Freescale landing team.

=== Issues ===
 * Some disruption due to an office relocation.  Mostly back to
   normal now.