Bug#826774: ITP: genwqe-user -- A hardware accelerated version of zLib using PCIe with FPGA

[Paul Wise]

On Tue, 2017-02-14 at 15:09 +, Dimitri John Ledkov wrote:

> I probably do not understand this correctly, but isn't a
> pre-configured card usable by any Linux install for e.g. accelerated
> zlib compression and decompression.
> As in this package is not useless without the Altera toolchain, and
> enables software to execute algorithms with hardware acceleration -
> isn't it not dissimilar to e.g. openssl engines or mesa? and thus can
> live in main?
> Or does one supposed to upload bitstream onto the cards on every boot?
> Like e.g. non-free/intel-microcode package?

It wasn't clear from the ITP what the situation was, but I guess main
sounds reasonable if there is no FPGA bitstream being compiled during
the package build.

-- 
bye,
pabs

https://wiki.debian.org/PaulWise


signature.asc
Description: This is a digitally signed message part

Bug#826774: ITP: genwqe-user -- A hardware accelerated version of zLib using PCIe with FPGA

[Dimitri John Ledkov]

On Thu, 09 Jun 2016 23:28:32 +0800 Paul Wise  wrote:
> On Thu, 2016-06-09 at 11:15 -0300, Breno Leitao wrote:
>
> > That is correct. The bitstream is created with Altera Tools. Yes,
> > they are vandor specific and proprietary.
> >
> > Is this a problem for this ITP?
>
> I assume this means the package will have to go to contrib.
>

I probably do not understand this correctly, but isn't a
pre-configured card usable by any Linux install for e.g. accelerated
zlib compression and decompression.
As in this package is not useless without the Altera toolchain, and
enables software to execute algorithms with hardware acceleration -
isn't it not dissimilar to e.g. openssl engines or mesa? and thus can
live in main?
Or does one supposed to upload bitstream onto the cards on every boot?
Like e.g. non-free/intel-microcode package?

Regards,

Dimitri.

Bug#826774: ITP: genwqe-user -- A hardware accelerated version of zLib using PCIe with FPGA

[Breno Leitao]

Hello Paul,

On 06/08/2016 11:29 PM, Paul Wise wrote:
> n Thu, Jun 9, 2016 at 4:52 AM, Breno Leitao wrote:
> 
>>   Description : A hardware accelerated version of zLib using PCIe with 
>> FPGA
> ...
>> This package dependes on a specific PCIe3 FPGA Accelerator Adapter.
> 
> FPGA devices usually require proprietary software to be able to create
> a bitstream for and upload to the device. Is that the case here?

That is correct. The bitstream is created with Altera Tools. Yes, they are 
vandor
specific and proprietary.

Is this a problem for this ITP?

Bug#826774: ITP: genwqe-user -- A hardware accelerated version of zLib using PCIe with FPGA

[Paul Wise]

On Thu, 2016-06-09 at 11:15 -0300, Breno Leitao wrote:

> That is correct. The bitstream is created with Altera Tools. Yes,
> they are vandor specific and proprietary.
> 
> Is this a problem for this ITP?

I assume this means the package will have to go to contrib.

-- 
bye,
pabs

https://wiki.debian.org/PaulWise


signature.asc
Description: This is a digitally signed message part

Bug#826774: ITP: genwqe-user -- A hardware accelerated version of zLib using PCIe with FPGA

[Paul Wise]

n Thu, Jun 9, 2016 at 4:52 AM, Breno Leitao wrote:

>   Description : A hardware accelerated version of zLib using PCIe with 
> FPGA
...
> This package dependes on a specific PCIe3 FPGA Accelerator Adapter.

FPGA devices usually require proprietary software to be able to create
a bitstream for and upload to the device. Is that the case here?

-- 
bye,
pabs

https://wiki.debian.org/PaulWise

Bug#826774: ITP: genwqe-user -- A hardware accelerated version of zLib using PCIe with FPGA

[Breno Leitao]

Package: wnpp
Severity: wishlist
Owner: Breno Leitao 

* Package name: genwqe-user
  Version : 4.0.17
  Upstream Author : Frank Haverkamp
* URL : https://github.com/ibm-genwqe/genwqe-user
* License : Apache Version 2.0
  Programming Lang: C
  Description : A hardware accelerated version of zLib using PCIe with FPGA

GenWQE (Generic Work Queue Engine) is a PCIe acceleration card. This repository
contains the source code to test, maintain and update the GenWQE PCIe card.
Furthermore a zlib version with hardware acceleration is provided to do zlib
style compression/decompression according to RFC1950, RFC1951 and RFC1952. This
can be used as alternative to the traditional software zlib.

This package dependes on a specific PCIe3 FPGA Accelerator Adapter. You can
find them at:

http://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/POWER8/p8hcd/fcej12.htm
http://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/POWER8/p8hcd/fcej13.htm

I want to maintain this package as I am one of the main ppc64el porters, and I
am in the DD process to become one.