[LEDE-DEV] Convert ar71xx to devicetree

[p.wassi at gmx.at]

> rather than converting ar71xx to DT we simply create a new target called
> ath79 and start moving board support over from the legacy to the new
> target. this would allow us to make the ath79 target much cleaner than
> having to worry about legacy cruft.

That's what I meant with ar71xx-dt :) Yeah, starting from there will be much
cleaner.

> back in the day when i converted ramips, i simply create a host lib that
> provided all the platform_*() callbacks used by the mach files.

I've read about this. Once a SoC is converted and tested, this approach surely
can convert all associated devices. I've had quite some trouble to get the SoC
running, but then adding devices was easy.

> can you share the patches you have already created ?

What's the best way to do this? Make a LEDE fork on Github, or are there better
suited ways? I think sharing them (in this state) on the mailing list is not the
way to go.

> and once the new ath79 target starts to be usable we simply refuse to merge patches
> to ar71xx and only accept ones for ath79

What about some time of co-existence? I.e. as soon as DT is usable and let's say AR933x
is fine, all devices are *moved* from ar71xx to ath79 while for example QCA95xx still is
at ar71xx. I'm aware that removing devices in ar71xx might not be a backwards-compatible
way, but is there another way to 'lock' ar71xx commits for certain SoCs?.
Or did you plan to *fully* switch over to ath79 and lock ar71xx, once *every* device is converted?

Best regards,
P. Wassi