Re: [PATCH 04/31] docs: mark CRIS support as deprecated

[Alex Bennée]

Daniel P. Berrangé <berrange@redhat.com> writes:

> On Mon, Sep 25, 2023 at 03:48:27PM +0100, Alex Bennée wrote:
>> This might be premature but while streamling the avocado tests I
>> realised the only tests we have are "check-tcg" ones. The aging
>> fedora-criss-cross image works well enough for developers but can't be
>> used in CI as we need supported build platforms to build QEMU.
>> 
>> Does this mean the writing is on the wall for this architecture?
>> 
>> Signed-off-by: Alex Bennée <alex.bennee@linaro.org>
>> Cc: Rabin Vincent <rabinv@axis.com>
>> Cc: Edgar E. Iglesias <edgar.iglesias@xilinx.com>
>> ---
>>  docs/about/deprecated.rst | 11 +++++++++++
>>  1 file changed, 11 insertions(+)
>> 
>> diff --git a/docs/about/deprecated.rst b/docs/about/deprecated.rst
>> index dc4da95329..7cfe313aa6 100644
>> --- a/docs/about/deprecated.rst
>> +++ b/docs/about/deprecated.rst
>> @@ -399,6 +399,17 @@ Specifying the iSCSI password in plain text on the 
>> command line using the
>>  used instead, to refer to a ``--object secret...`` instance that provides
>>  a password via a file, or encrypted.
>>  
>> +TCG CPUs
>> +--------
>> +
>> +CRIS CPU architecture (since 8.1)
>> +'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
>> +
>> +The CRIS architecture was pulled from Linux in 4.17 and the compiler
>> +is no longer packaged in any distro making it harder to run the
>> +``check-tcg`` tests. Unless we can improve the testing situation there
>> +is a chance the code will bitrot without anyone noticing.
>
> Deprecated is generally a warning that we intend to delete the
> feature.   If we're just going to relegate it to untested
> status (what I'd call "tier 3" quality), then we should document
> that elsewhere.  I don't mind which way we go.

We do have reasonably good coverage with tests/tcg/cris but of course
without a compiler we can't build them.

Both nios2 and microblaze have build-toolchain scripts which can be used
to re-create containers. However my preference is having pre-built
toolchains hosted by others like we do for loongarch, hexagon, xtensa
and tricore. Then the docker image can simply curl them into an image.

-- 
Alex Bennée
Virtualisation Tech Lead @ Linaro