I have a hookup at a company that builds modular compute nodes for DoD. They make X86 pluggable compute devices the size of a credit card and lots of types of clustering hardware for them. Each card is equivalent to a typical desktop PC. I've used Plan 9 on these devices successfully in the past. If we need to test out a more ambitious architecture with lots of nodes, it's a very good way to experiment. For experimenting with clusters, this kind of hardware can be extremely convenient. They are interested in a more distributed OS/hypervisor for various applications, and I can get some time with their engineers. Probably a small scale hardware donation and larger scale deal on something. Just let me know. Link: https://addc.com/
On Sun, Jan 5, 2025 at 12:55 PM <tlaro...@kergis.com> wrote: > On Sun, Jan 05, 2025 at 08:36:17AM -0800, Ron Minnich wrote: > > No need for money yet! > > > > Let's get this party started. I have queries in to ampere as to how we > > can set up a simulator. However, if someone wants to take a first > > step, take that 2011 code, bring it to your plan 9 system, and see if > > it builds. > > > > Again, the key here is a sustained effort. You don't have to do a lot > > each week, but you don't want to start and then drop it. So it needs > > to NOT become all consuming. It's all about pacing yourself. Anybody > > who's ever spent a few weeks digging ditches can tell you -- set up a > > work effort you can sustain. Same thing here. > > > > So, how about we figure out who here is interested, then start off: > > get the code, see if it builds. Who's in? Don't feel out of your > > depth: if you can type mk, you're ready to start. Don't assume it's a > > slog through code: take time to alternate looking at code, and reading > > docs. Do learn how to use something like qemu -- it's a real > > timesaver, since you can debug the kernel interactively. > > > > Don't kill yourself if you hit a wall about some code -- bring it > > here, and ask questions. That's why we're here. > > > > So, Step 1: anyone? anyone? > > > > OK me, FW I'm Worth (If I do work, my worthiness will undoubtely improve, > but count it for a low value for now). > > T. Laronde > > > > > On Sun, Jan 5, 2025 at 7:22?AM Daniel Maslowski via 9fans > > <9fans@9fans.net> wrote: > > > > > > There have been other ideas in similar directions over the years. > > > E.g. > https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342759611_SCE-Comm_A_Real-Time_Inter-Core_Communication_Framework_for_Strictly_Partitioned_Multi-core_Processors > about the concepts of ACs and CCs (communication cores). > > > > > > > > > On Sun, 5 Jan 2025, 01:49 Charles Forsyth, <charles.fors...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > >> > > >> i think brazil experimented with networking outside the kernel but it > was pushed back in > > >> > > >> On Sun, 5 Jan 2025 at 00:24, Thaddeus Woskowiak < > tswoskow...@gmail.com> wrote: > > >>> > > >>> On Sat, Jan 4, 2025 at 1:03?PM Bakul Shah via 9fans <9fans@9fans.net> > wrote: > > >>> > > > >>> > On Jan 4, 2025, at 9:35?AM, Stuart Morrow <morrow.stu...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > >>> > >> This has been a very interesting discussion, thanks all. My > offer > > >>> > >> remains: if anyone wants to revive NIX, I am happy to help. > > >>> > > > > >>> > > Am I the only one who sees that the Fastcall stuff would be good > for > > >>> > > bringing some devices out of the kernel (that are devs only for > > >>> > > performance reasons)? > > >>> > > > > >>> > > And then, closer to what Fastcall was actually for (fossil and > > >>> > > venti>disk), you also have ??fs>nusb/disk>disk, which could > always do > > >>> > > with a speedup. > > >>> > > > >>> > I've been meaning to ask... What is the typical *overhead* of a 9p > > >>> > call to a user level driver compared to a kernel based driver? > > >>> > > >>> From what I know the only performance issue for 'user-space <-> > > >>> kernel-space' 9P are context switches. IP is in-kernel to eliminate > > >>> context switches for ether(3) <-> ip(3). > > > > > > 9fans / 9fans / see discussions + participants + delivery options > Permalink > > -- > Thierry Laronde <tlaronde +AT+ kergis +dot+ com> > http://www.kergis.com/ > http://kertex.kergis.com/ > Key fingerprint = 0FF7 E906 FBAF FE95 FD89 250D 52B1 AE95 6006 F40C ------------------------------------------ 9fans: 9fans Permalink: https://9fans.topicbox.com/groups/9fans/T7692a612f26c8ec5-M7dda62524bd4f50df786f87e Delivery options: https://9fans.topicbox.com/groups/9fans/subscription
