Gentle persons: The recent email discussions about ARM-based cpus on the one hand and about progress with the PREEMPT_RT patch on the other got me to wondering about RTAI and where it is going.
I see that two test versions of rtai-3.9 were posted in quick succession in January/February of this year. As best I can interpret the Changelog, version 3.9 is supposed to support Linux kernels up to 2.6.38 although the second test release appears due in part to some failure of the first test release to achieve this goal fully. (The only mention of ARM in the Changelog dates from 2009 so I won't say any more in this message about ARM.) The last Ubuntu long-term-support release was Ubuntu 10.04.3LTS, aka Lucid Lynx, based on kernel 2.6.32. It reaches its official end of life in 11 months. As of a few weeks ago, the current Ubuntu long-term support release is Ubuntu 12.04LTS, aka Precise Pangolin, based on kernel 3.2.14. I feel no pressure to rush to new Linux distributions since I keep my desktop usage separate from my machine-control usage. Even if I did, I'm personally comfortable with mixing-and-matching kernels and distributions. However, it would appear from other email traffic that a number of LinuxCNC users want their latest and greatest hardware supported by the latest and greatest distribution releases so they can do everything on one computer. Given the stated commitment of the LinuxCNC developers to LTS releases of Ubuntu, the age of 10.04LTS, and the apparent lack of any RTAI roadmap indicating when kernel 3.+ will be supported, has a 'position' been formulated on the disconnect that exists today and likely will exist for some time to come? It would be great if other work---PREEMPT_RT, Xenomai, etc---end up making this a moot point but I was taught (my first employer paid for it and I have a yellowing certificate suitable for hanging to prove it!) that good project management does not include praying for a miracle :-) I'm just saying.... Regards, Kent ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Live Security Virtual Conference Exclusive live event will cover all the ways today's security and threat landscape has changed and how IT managers can respond. Discussions will include endpoint security, mobile security and the latest in malware threats. http://www.accelacomm.com/jaw/sfrnl04242012/114/50122263/ _______________________________________________ Emc-developers mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-developers
