[lsb-discuss] LSB and ARM

[Wichmann, Mats D]

lsb-discuss-bounces at lists.linux-foundation.org wrote:
> Hi List
> 
> how is it with LSB and the ARM architecture?
> I read somewhere that ARM was not amongst the supported architectures.
> But with Linux running on millions of ARM computers of different
> makes, maybe it was time to do it. 

<changehat type="LSB"/>

Keld, hi

it's certainly one of the most requested issues, and has been for
a long time, I'd say for at least seven years it's been coming up
on and off (indeed it was asked about just yesterday in another
forum).

ARM support has not happened for pretty much two reasons:

1. LSB is very much a model of defining a common base,
and ARM deployments have had wide variability - you're
left with a question of "which ARM".  It may be that the
current armv7hl is that target, although that certainly won't
run on the entire range of ARM devices out there - is it
okay to leave out those that don't have harfp capability?

2. It does take a fair bit of work to add a new architecture,
and while many have asked none have really stepped up to
volunteer.  It's why LSB supports architectures that have
/numerically/ far less distribution, e.g. S390, because it
mattered enough to someone's business to support getting
the extensions done, so the development was "funded" in that way.

I promised Wookie I'd post a list eventually of what's
needed, but it's been a couple of years since I wrote one
up so have to stop and think for a while, and various fires
to tackle mean it will take a bit yet (others might jump
in here)