Re: [Qemu-devel] Maintainers, please tell us how to boot your machines!

[Markus Armbruster]

Michael Walle <address@hidden> writes:

> [resend because my mobile client messed up the message and gmail
> rejected it]
>
> Am 2019-03-18 09:15, schrieb Markus Armbruster:
>> Michael Walle <address@hidden> writes:
>>
>>> Am 2019-03-12 18:36, schrieb Markus Armbruster:
>>>>     = hw/lm32/lm32_boards.c =
>>>>     Michael Walle <address@hidden> (maintainer:LM32)
>>>>
>>>>     = hw/lm32/milkymist.c =
>>>>     Michael Walle <address@hidden> (maintainer:milkymist)
>>>>
>>>
>>> Hi folks,
>>>
>>> I guess it is time to pull the plug. Mainly, because I have no time
>>> for this anymore. I've always worked on this on my spare time and life
>>> changed. And secondly, I guess RISC-V is taking over ;) It has a far
>>> better ecosystem. Also, to my knowledge the only (public) user of LM32
>>> is milkymist and this project is dead for years now..
>>>
>>> So time to say goodbye. It was fun and I've learned a lot -
>>> technically and also how a huge open source project works. Thank you
>>> everyone for that :)
>>
>> Thank *you* for your contribution!
>>
>>> Basically everything still works and there are even TCG test cases
>>> which covers all instructions the processor has. But I doubt it makes
>>> any more sense to keep that architecture. If nobody wants to take over
>>> (I guess that is the case), I'll post my last and final commit to
>>> remove the lm32 architecture shortly..
>>
>> We normally deprecate first, and remove only after a grace period,
>> commonly two releases.  If we deprecate right away (in 4.0), we'd
>> remove
>> in 4.2, which I'd expect in December.  Would that work for you?
>
> Sure, I reached out to some folks who still use lm32. One response is
> still pending. Is it possible to remove the depreciation again if
> someone steps in?

Yes, it is.

When deprecation turns out to be a mistake, we simply revert the
mistake.  Even after removal, patches to bring it back would be
considered if backed by a use case and a maintainer.

That said, I'd recommend against going through a near-death experience
just to find a new maintainer :)