[llvm] LLVM Qualification Group - Backlog documentation and Discussion Updates (PR #156184)

Sat Aug 30 07:30:16 PDT 2025

https://github.com/CarlosAndresRamirez updated https://github.com/llvm/llvm-project/pull/156184

>From 7a8dad156c1342fd0cd2ab7fe7b133827981bb54 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: =?UTF-8?q?Carlos=20Andr=C3=A9s=20Ram=C3=ADrez=20Cata=C3=B1o?=
 <andres at antai-group.com>
Date: Sat, 30 Aug 2025 23:11:31 +0900
Subject: [PATCH] Created backlog file for the Qualification group, and
 referenced it from the main group page.

---
 llvm/docs/QualGroup.rst                       | 25 +++++++
 .../qual-wg/doc/llvm-qualgroup-backlog.rst    | 74 +++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 99 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 llvm/docs/qual-wg/doc/llvm-qualgroup-backlog.rst

diff --git a/llvm/docs/QualGroup.rst b/llvm/docs/QualGroup.rst
index 63520cf401d3a..5f5b477a56744 100644
--- a/llvm/docs/QualGroup.rst
+++ b/llvm/docs/QualGroup.rst
@@ -1,3 +1,14 @@
+..
+   This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
+   SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-3.0
+
+.. _LLVM Qualification Group:
+
+.. CHANGE TRACKER for reference
+.. Purpose: Fixed document location and added Current Topics & Backlog
+.. Author: Carlos Andres Ramirez
+.. Last updated: 2025-08-30 by Carlos Ramirez
+
 ========================
 LLVM Qualification Group
 ========================
@@ -48,6 +59,20 @@ Participation is open to anyone interested. There are several ways to get involv
 
 We welcome contributors from diverse backgrounds, organizations, and experience levels.
 
+Current Topics & Backlog
+========================
+
+Our working group is actively engaged in discussions about the project's
+direction and tackling technical challenges. You can find our current 
+discussions, challenges, and the project backlog in the following 
+document.
+
+:doc:`LLVM-Qualification-Group-Backlog <qual-wg/doc/llvm-qualgroup-backlog>` 
+
+This document serves as our central hub for all ongoing topics and will
+be updated regularly to reflect our progress. We welcome your 
+contributions and feedback.
+
 Meeting Minutes
 ===============
 
diff --git a/llvm/docs/qual-wg/doc/llvm-qualgroup-backlog.rst b/llvm/docs/qual-wg/doc/llvm-qualgroup-backlog.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..06cdbe7c9b4fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/llvm/docs/qual-wg/doc/llvm-qualgroup-backlog.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+..
+  Purpose: Track and document the ongoing discussions and backlog for the LLVM Qualification Group.
+  Author: Carlos Andres Ramirez Catano
+  Last updated: 2025-08-30 by Carlos Andres Ramirez Catano
+
+================================================
+Current Topics & Backlog for Qualification Group
+================================================
+
+This document serves as the central hub for our working group's current
+activities, including ongoing discussions, key challenges, and our 
+prioritized backlog.
+
+This is a living document and will be updated as our work evolves.
+
+---
+
+Ongoing Discussions
+===================
+
+This section outlines topics the working group is currently analyzing or
+deliberating on.
+
+* **Compiler Qualification Language & Standard:**
+    * **Topic:** Defining the initial scope for Clang qualification.
+    * **Challenge:** Deciding between C and C++ for the first qualification target.
+    * **Sub-topics:**
+        * Which C standard (e.g., C11, C23) is most suitable?
+        * Creating an open-source conformance test suite for C seems unfeasible. Any alternatives? Is this a requirement?
+        * Would it suffice to do testing using Alive2?
+        * Criteria for deciding the hardware architecture (target)
+        * Criteria for deciding specific compiler use case and options enabled
+        * Qualification standards usually require a specific, frozen tool version and a controlled development process to be qualified for a particular use case. The continuous development model of most open-source projects doesn't align well with this requirement. Would it be possible to have a Long Term Support (LTS) release of LLVM?
+
+* **Qualification Standard and Tool Confidence Level:**
+    * **Topic:** Defining the initial safety framework scope for qualification (ISO26262, IEC61508, etc).
+    * **Challenge:** We need enough members for each framework we want to include in scope.
+    * **Sub-topics:**
+        * Shall we initially focus on a specific standard, or provide templates for different standards so members can work on their own implementations?
+        * Criteria for choosing tool confidence level
+
+* **Toolchain Integration with Open Source Tools:**
+    * **Topic:** Investigating how to demonstrate confidence in LLVM's development process.
+    * **Challenge:** Bridging the gap between traditional safety-critical processes and open-source development models.
+    * **Sub-topics:**
+        * Can we leverage existing test suites?
+        * Identifying a path to continuous validation within a CI/CD pipeline.
+        * Integrating Alive2 tests
+        * Integrating a human centric approach (tests and documentation of the LLVM's development process)
+
+---
+
+Prioritized Backlog
+===================
+
+This is a list of tasks and topics we have agreed to address in the near future, ranked by priority.
+
+1.  **Define Language & Standard for Qualification:** Finalize the decision on whether to qualify a specific version of the C or C++ standard.
+2.  **Research C Conformance Test Suites:** Identify and evaluate existing open-source or commercial C conformance test suites.
+3.  **Propose a Community RFC:** Draft a Request for Comments (RFC) to the LLVM community to formalize our group's goals and request support.
+4.  **Create a Public Wiki:** Establish a public-facing wiki or documentation site to track our progress and share findings.
+
+---
+
+Future Ideas & Unsorted Topics
+===============================
+
+This section is a parking lot for new ideas or topics that have been raised but are not yet being actively discussed or prioritized.
+
+* Investigating qualification for the LLVM linker (lld).
+* Exploring the use of static analysis tools (e.g., clang-tidy, Malleus) in a safety-critical context.
+* Documenting the process for a minimal, safety-critical build of Clang.
+
+---

