On Sun, Aug 9, 2015 at 6:02 PM, Václav Šmilauer <e...@doxos.eu> wrote: > Hi devs, > > I am currently trying to complie numerical simulation code Woo [1] to run on > Xeon Phi. Woo is written in a mix of Python and c++, using a number of c++ > libs and Python packages. > > As you may know, Xeon Phi is 60-core (240 Hyper-Threaded cores) card with > 4-16GB RAM, Pentium-like cores and ISA with many extensions for 64bit and > parallel computing; it can be used either as co-processor for CPU tasks, or > as a standalone machine accessible over virtual network between the host and > the card. The card itself boots minimalistic Linux and userland > (Yocto-based) and has access to the host filesystem through NFS. The > platform is identified as x86_64-k1om-linux-gnu; gcc, binutils and glibc > support this arch since a few years back (gcc supports it as target, but > does not have target-specific optimizations, which are only present in the > commercial Intel compiler). > > My experience with Yocto was not great (it fails to build with newer headers > in the system), and Intel's forum seems to welcome only people running huge > clusters in this segment. > > The first goal of this port would be to bootstrap Debian (using gcc+binutils > as cross-compiler, those are available from Intel IIRC) and use its > cross-compiled userland (compiler, packaging infrastructure) over NFS to > compile other packages on the card itself, using cross-compiled native > compiler (Python cannot be really cross-compiled currently). > > Second optional goal would be to compile some of the debian packages (many > wouldn't make sense) on the card natively and have pre-built binaries in the > public archive. > > After that, see how feasible it would be to boot Debian itself on the card > -- that might be complicated due to special services for the card (like > virtual network, configuration framework, no access to console while booting > AFAIK) and is perhaps not really needed. >
FIrst, you should make sure gcc/linux/glibc works for Phi, and then bootstrap them with these steps: https://wiki.debian.org/MultiarchCrossToolchainBootstrap You will need to figure out your patch for these 3 packages' debian/ staff. > From what I understood, the porting infrastructure is being consolidated at > the moment, so I would appreciate some guidance on where to start; if there > is a more specific and more suitable list (debian-ports was shut down > recently), please let me know. Maybe some other Debian developers have the > same interest, or more experience with Xeon Phi. > > Looking forward to fruitful discussion. > > Cheers, Václav > > > [1] https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=794710 -- YunQiang Su -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-devel-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: https://lists.debian.org/cakcpw6vx+ts0npku-kpdywqpknqal2cci5v+hc8qygi0eg6...@mail.gmail.com
