Re: Dropping FC4 as platform

[Andrew Cagney <cagney at redhat dot com>]

Elena Zannoni wrote:

> Andrew Cagney writes:
> > Elena Zannoni wrote:
> > 
> > >Since we are close to enabling 64-bit builds, and given FC5 is about to
> > >be come out, let's drop FC4 as a supported platform. 
> > >
> > >If anybody out there is worried about FC4, they are welcome to submit
> > >patches to keep frysk working on it, but we are not going to worry
> > >about it.  As the compiler gets more fixes and better debuginfo
> > >support, it will become harder and harder to backport those to FC4, as
> > >well.
> > >  
> > >
> > Elena, here's a brief breakdown:
> > 
> >                  ptrace-exec  gcj-gc     gcj       Java-GNOME
> > FC-5             broken(1)    broken(3)  ok        ok
> > FC-4             broken|ok(2) ok         broken(4) mega-rpm(5)
> > RHEL4            ok           ok         ok        mega-rpm
> > badger           ?            ?          broken(6) missing(6)
> > 
> > (1) ptrace, when the non-main thread does an exec, is broken; on FC-5 
> > blocker list?
>
> Bug number?
>  
FC-5: https://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=177240
FC-4: https://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=180484


> > (2) see (1); broke it latest kernel; workaround is to avoid the latest 
> > kernel
>
> Ok that's another argument in favor of not worrying about fc4.
>
>  
Once fixed in FC-5 yes.  The state is:
FC-5: no workaround
FC-4: workaround available (downgrade kernel)
and until it's fixed we've test cases that won't pass.

> > (3) the garbage collector deadlocks; fix looming
>
> bug #?
>  
FC-5: https://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=180637
gcc: ?

> > (4) FC-4 gcj is missing fixes found on RHEL-4; workaround by building 
> > installing RHEL-4 gcj snapshot
>
> Available anywhere?
>  
http://sourceware.org/frysk/build/index.html#fc4
ftp://sources.redhat.com/pub/frysk/RHEL-4/gcc-4.0.2-20051130-frysk-4.0.2-14.EL4.tar.bz2

> > (5) Assuming (4) installed; the RHEL-4 mega-rpm can be built and installed
>
> Available anywhere?
>  
http://sourceware.org/frysk/build/index.html#fc4
eg: 
ftp://sources.redhat.com/pub/frysk/RHEL-4/frysk-0.0.1.2006.01.28-0.EL4.1.src.rpm

> > (6) Breezy Badger needs both upstream compiler, and upstream Java-GNOME 
> > bindings to build.
> > 
>
> Ok, again a matter of resources. We should keep an eye on how/if frysk 
> works on it, but for now it cannot be a priority, since we have only 
> limited control on those packages.
>
>  
>
> > So as soon as those two remaining FC-5 issues are fixed (I think gcj-gc 
> > is about to go through); I'd agree that we can switch.
> > 
>
> Define switch. We really can't afford to look after FC4 right now.
> Let's publish the workarounds on the webpages and leave it at that.
>  
Switch testing from RHEL-4+FC-4 to RHEL-4+FC-5.  Something addressing 
the ptrace-exec bug (someone got an old working kernel :-) and 
gc-deadlock (I know the patch is looming) are needed before the switch.

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