Supporting Architectures above armv5tel

Project Name

Supporting Architectures Above armv5tel

Project Description

The armv5tel architecture version is supported by some common devices such as the Marvell Feroceon processors used in most plug computers. However, later versions of the architecture support advanced features, and using armv5tel code on those processors may result in suboptimal performance.

This project will research ways that Fedora-ARM could support higher processor versions effectively without recompiling the entire Fedora package universe -- for example, by providing an armv7 + hardfp glibc and kernel. This involves performance testing across multiple devices.

Initial contacts: ctyler, PaulW

Project Leader(s)

Mark Eamiguel

Project Contributor(s)

IRC: /#ubuntu-arm (persia) /#gentoo-embedded (solar and steev_)

Project Details

This project aims to test the significance of technologies that exist in ARMv7 architecture by conducting different benchmark techniques and compiler optimisation. This project also covers performance comparison between ARMv5 and ARMv7.

ARMv7 Technologies:

• Thumb®-2/ Thumb
• NEON™
• VFPv3

There are currently 2 ARMv7 (beagleboard & beagleboard XM) builders in the Fedora ARM farm. These builders are running builds on ARMv5tel architecture which means optimum performance is not achieved.

Project Plan

Goals for each release:

• 0.1 Run a benchmark program specifically designed not to use much of glibc
• 0.2
• 0.3

Things to learn

-Ways of benchmarking ARM processors
-gcc install options
-Compiling kernel and glibc
-Familiarization with ARM hardware

Project News

October 19th, 2010 - Chris Tyler explained more about the project, including goal 0.1

October 15th, 2010 - Project page updated (Things to learn)