[llvm-dev] [RFC] Lanai backend

[Hal Finkel via llvm-dev]

----- Original Message -----
> From: "C Bergström via llvm-dev" <llvm-dev at lists.llvm.org>
> To: "Jacques Pienaar" <jpienaar at google.com>
> Cc: "llvm-dev" <llvm-dev at lists.llvm.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, February 9, 2016 4:53:14 PM
> Subject: Re: [llvm-dev] [RFC] Lanai backend
> 
> On Wed, Feb 10, 2016 at 5:39 AM, Jacques Pienaar via llvm-dev
> <llvm-dev at lists.llvm.org> wrote:
> > The ISA & encoding is documented in the comments and diagrams of
> > lib/Target/Lanai/LanaiInstrFormats.td. If that makes sense I'll add
> > a link
> > to this tablegen in docs/CompilerWriterInfo.rst.
> 
> Some driveby comments -
> 
> If the processor isn't encumbered and by this I mean any company
> could
> in theory make a "Lanai compatible" processor, then I personally
> would
> be supportive or middle path. If on the other hand the processor is
> highly proprietary or encumbered (patents?) then I'd more in the
> middle or slightly against.

This is an important point.

Whether or not the ISA is encumbered in the sense you mentioned does not affect my view on whether it should be accepted upstream or not, however, given the potential for such a backend to serve educational purposes, I think it is important that Google make the relevant legal status of the ISA clear.

 -Hal

> 
> I can't always agree with all @google people and or their
> comments/attitudes, but in general @google has built up quite a bit
> of
> positive "karma", at least from my outside perspective. (I suspect
> others probably see and may feel this way as well)
> 
> To compare against AMDGPU isn't really fair. AMDGPU may have "limited
> use" as pointed out, but the niche community that does in fact use it
> and care about it has high impact. The hardware is also publicly
> available. /* In theory nothing gets in the way of AMD GPU's gaining
> greater market adoption - I blame marketing more than technology
> since
> they are strong on the current gen consoles */
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-- 
Hal Finkel
Assistant Computational Scientist
Leadership Computing Facility
Argonne National Laboratory