NetBSD/doc/roadmaps/ports

$NetBSD: ports,v 1.11 2024/05/03 09:00:59 nia Exp $

NetBSD Ports Roadmap
====================

This roadmap covers ports and port-specific issues, and also bus-level
material even if it's not strictly port-specific.

The following elements, projects, and goals are considered strategic
priorities for the project:

 0. DRMKMS update

The following elements, projects, and goals are not strategic
priorities but are still important undertakings worth doing:

 1. c-sky port
 2. latticemico32 port
 3. or1k port
 4. cheri port

The following elements, projects, and goals are perhaps less pressing;
this doesn't mean one shouldn't work on them but the expected payoff
is perhaps less than for other things:

 [none presently]


Explanations
============

 0. DRMKMS update

The DRM drivers get old with time. The current drivers are from Linux 5.6,
having a newer version would be nice.

 1. c-sky port

C-Sky is a low-end 32-bit architecture common in devices in China.
It is "inspired by" the M-CORE architecture from Motorola, with
the addition of a MMU.

As of 2024, low cost development boards exist and support exists in
upstream GCC.  However, there is no NetBSD code.

As of 2024, nobody is working on this.

 2. LatticeMico32 port

Code exists in the inactive EdgeBSD fork, targeting the Milkymist SoC.

As of 2024, nobody is working on importing it.

 3. or1k port

We have a bit of or1k code, but it's not complete.
As of 2024, we have a risc-v port, and due to the industry prioritizing
risc-v it's unclear if or1k has a future.

 4. cheri port

http://cheri-cpu.org
There are a number of reasons to tackle this; it will serve as a code
quality lever. Also there's already a FreeBSD port to steal from.