[Libre-soc-bugs] [Bug 405] Write PowerPC64 backend for Cranelift

[bugzilla-daemon at libre-soc.org]

https://bugs.libre-soc.org/show_bug.cgi?id=405

Jacob Lifshay <programmerjake at gmail.com> changed:

           What    |Removed                     |Added
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 CC|                            |lkcl at lkcl.net

--- Comment #2 from Jacob Lifshay <programmerjake at gmail.com> ---
Luke (and others), what do you think of prioritizing using Cranelift as the
shader compiler backend over LLVM?

I'm planning on adding support for Cranelift even if we add LLVM support first,
because of Cranelift's massive shader compile-time advantage.

Cranelift is much more similar to the ACO backend for RADV in Mesa.

Advantages:
- simplicity
- written in Rust
- the shader compiler would run much more quickly -- important for graphics
drivers
- can architect the backend to work with our processor better since we'd be
writing the code
- works on embedded systems without a full Linux OS
- can probably get additional funding from other interested parties since
Cranelift having a PowerPC64 backend is quite useful beyond the bounds of our
project
- can easily use existing/add new C bindings for use from Mesa-based graphics
driver

Disadvantages:
- need to write whole new backend since Cranelift currently doesn't support
PowerISA -- can be done in a very incremental fashion.
- we can't use LLVM's additional optimizations, though those are not that
likely to be very useful anyway

-- 
You are receiving this mail because:
You are on the CC list for the bug.