Scheduling (unused) board file removal for linux-6.x

[Linus Walleij]

Hi Arnd,

thanks for looking into this!

On Wed, Jun 29, 2022 at 10:43 PM Arnd Bergmann <arnd at kernel.org> wrote:

> pxa

This looks like something that would be interesting to pick up and maintain
with DT support, if and only if there are devices with enough memory.

However I doubt there is interest.

I think the palmtops/PDAs are a bit outdated as enthusiast/hobbyist platforms
with screens because those people will use PostmarketOS with
cheap old tablets and phones these days.

> sa1100
>
> Similar to PXA, work on this appears to have stopped. Russell probably
> still has an Assabet or some other machine, but I don't know if he
> still plans to keep using new kernels on those. The only machine with
> qemu support is Collie (Sharp SL-5500), so if we keep any boards at all,
> then this should be kept as well. Probably no point doing a DT conversion
> here though.

My interest is to have something to test that CPU_SA1100 is working
on and I've been using the HP3600.

If I wanna keep doing that I should bite the bullet and convert it to
DT and multiplatform like I did with everything else I need for testing.
Else I deserve to have it removed on me and I can resurrect it
using DT if I want.

> footbridge
>
> Three machines, most notably the NetWinder that a few people still have.
> I assume Russell wants to keep the machines working that he still has.
> ep93xx
>
> These are still used, and the platform includes the only remaining two
> board files that were added after linux-3.0. DT support is probably
> doable now that common-clk works. Need information about which boards
> are important.

I'm using the NetWinder to test that CPU_SA110 is still working.

Same thing: if it matters enough to me I should convert it to DT
and multiplatform.

Someone said (ha ha only serious) to convert it to ACPI if it should
live on since it is a desktop machine...

> davinci
>
> DT conversion has stalled, and there are 12 remaining board files,
> mostly for evaluation machines. No idea if any are still in use.

TI is semi-actively maintaining DaVinci, I wonder if we can send
the message that this needs to be converted to DT pronto to live
on?

Paging Aswath @TI, who just a few days ago sent some
suspend/resume patches for GPIO:
https://lore.kernel.org/linux-gpio/20220613054310.21186-1-a-govindraju@ti.com/

Aswath: can you perhaps raise this internally at TI? Thanks!

Patches also came from Nokia (!) last year see
ea4ab99cb58cc9f8d64c0961ff9a059825f304cf

Yours,
Linus Walleij