Re: Please don't deprecate i386 for GCC 4.8

[Ralf Corsepius <ralf dot corsepius at rtems dot org>]

On 12/14/2012 09:16 PM, Robert Dewar wrote:
> On 12/14/2012 3:13 PM, Cynthia Rempel wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > RTEMS still supports the i386, and there are many i386 machines still
> > in use.  Deprecating the i386 will negatively impact RTEMS ability to
> > support the i386.  As Steven Bosscher said, the "benefits" are small,
> > and the impact would be serious for RTEMS i386 users.
>
> Since there is a significant maintenance burden for such continued
> support, I guess a question to ask is whether the RTEMS folks or
> someone using RTEMS are willing to step in and shoulder this burden.

My view (with my RTEMS hat on) on this: I don't have a strong opinion on 
dropping the i386, but it will not be possible for me to "shoulder this 
burden".

The primary reason for RTEMS having kept trying to support the i386 was 
it being the least troublesome, smallest common denominator being 
available on simulators for a long time. I doubt, nowadays, anybody is 
using RTEMS on real i386ers - Several years ago (IIRC, ca. 10), there 
had been at least one, that I am aware about.

Ralf