[Debian-ppc64-devel] ppc64 status?

[Sven Luther]

On Thu, May 15, 2008 at 02:02:23PM +1000, Tony Breeds wrote:
> Hi all,
> 	Sorry to ask such a newbie question, but I'm going to anyway.
> 
> Is the ppc64 port (http://debian-ppc64.alioth.debian.org/) the preferred
> way to get 64-bit packages on powerpc?  I was under the impression that
> the "powerpc" port was a combined architecture for both 32 and 64
> powerpc machines.

Well, the prefered way is to build a package64 version, using the biarch
toolchain, until finally the multi-arch setup will be included in
debian.

There aree already example of libraries going this way (zlib for
example), and this is the prefered way, as going with a pure 64 system
will cause a generic perormance loss due to higher memory bandwidth
needs for 64 bit pointers and ints, and it should not be needed to go
for a pure 64 system when needing only one program in 64 bit mode.

That said, you would probably need also 64 bit version of the libraries
used.

> I'm asking as I have a package that needs to be compiled slighly
> differently for powerpc32 ans powerpc64.  I asked if the maintainer

What exactly do you mean here ? Will you need a different compilation on
64 bit powerpc cpus ? Or only a different compilation when wanting to
have 64 bit support ? 

> would be willing to make a "package64" to accomodate this.  They instead
> pointed me here.

What package is this anyway ? From the above need, i have some doubt if
pure-ppc64 is going to help solve this problem, but you don't really
provide enough information so that we can provide a complete reply.

CCed debian-powerpc, as it is ontopic there and will reach a wider
public, but as i am censored, can you please forward this mail to the
lists ?

Friendly,

Sven Luther