RE: [RFC PATCH 0/4] Remove some e300/MPC83xx evaluation platforms

[Leo Li <leoyang.li@nxp.com>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Paul Gortmaker <paul.gortmaker@windriver.com>
> Sent: Monday, February 20, 2023 5:59 AM
> To: linuxppc-dev@lists.ozlabs.org
> Cc: Leo Li <leoyang.li@nxp.com>; Claudiu Manoil <claudiu.manoil@nxp.com>;
> Paul Gortmaker <paul.gortmaker@windriver.com>; Scott Wood
> <oss@buserror.net>; Michael Ellerman <mpe@ellerman.id.au>; Benjamin
> Herrenschmidt <benh@kernel.crashing.org>; Paul Mackerras
> <paulus@samba.org>
> Subject: [RFC PATCH 0/4] Remove some e300/MPC83xx evaluation platforms
> 
> [This RFC is proposed for v6.4 and hence is based off linux-next.]
> 
> This series removes support for four e300 (MPC83xx) Freescale processor
> family evaluation boards that were added to the kernel in the 2006 era.

Thanks.  Let me discuss this with our marketing team to see if they have any valid reason to keep them around.

> 
> These boards were all of a very similar form factor, a largish PCI or PCI-X card
> that could also be used standalone with an external power brick, and all
> shared the Modular Development System (MDS) designation.
> 
> These platforms were made in limited quantity and were generally designed
> to get early silicon into the hands of OEMs who would later develop their
> own boards/platforms.  As such, availability was limited to those who would
> be working on boards and/or BSP support.
> 
> Many early revision MDS platforms used a mechanical clamping system to
> hold the BGA CPU in place to facilitate CPU updates -- something not
> normally possible for a soldered down BGA in a COTS system.
> 
> The point of these details is to give context that reflects that these four
> boards were made in limited quantities, were not in a form factor that is
> really "hobbyist" friendly and hence make sense for removal 17 years later.
> 
> Here, we remove the MPC8548E-MDS[1], the MPC8360E-MDS[2], the
> MPC837xE-MDS[3], and the MPC832x-MDS[4] board support from the kernel.
> 
> There will still exist several e300 Freescale Reference Design System (RDS)
> boards[5] and mini-ITX boards[6] with support in the kernel.  While these
> were more of a COTS "ready to deploy" design more suited to hobbyists, it
> probably makes sense to consider removing these as well, based on age.
> 
> But before we get to that, lets see how this goes -- and then we should look
> at similar early e500 evaluation platforms [MPC8540-ADS, etc] next, as the
> oldest there date back to 2002[7] -- before considering RDB/mITX.
> 
> I intentionally didn't put any links in the commits, since as we all know, they
> tend not to be stable long term, so keep them here in the merge data.
> Credit to NXP for keeping around these old legacy docs this long!
> 
> Paul.
> 
> --
> 
> [1]
> https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww
> .nxp.com%2Fdesign%2Fqoriq-developer-resources%2Fmpc8349e-modular-
> development-
> system%3AMPC8349EMDS&data=05%7C01%7Cleoyang.li%40nxp.com%7Ca2
> 820c1e442640c5a39108db1339fd9f%7C686ea1d3bc2b4c6fa92cd99c5c301635%
> 7C0%7C1%7C638124912025220501%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoi
> MC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C300
> 0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Q4COgwpjsE4mHXvl9HdGo3otPCYML3z%2FR6IoCEYRE
> wg%3D&reserved=0
> [2]
> https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww
> .nxp.com%2Fdocs%2Fen%2Fuser-
> guide%2FMPC8360EMDSUM.pdf&data=05%7C01%7Cleoyang.li%40nxp.com
> %7Ca2820c1e442640c5a39108db1339fd9f%7C686ea1d3bc2b4c6fa92cd99c5c30
> 1635%7C0%7C1%7C638124912025220501%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8ey
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> 7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=JyLT0MfGAHQ8a%2FNgpLdVFtyACkwPR%2FOkB
> yN1aW0wySs%3D&reserved=0
> [3]
> https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww
> .nxp.com%2Fproducts%2Fprocessors-and-microcontrollers%2Flegacy-mpu-
> mcus%2Fpowerquicc-processors%2Fpowerquicc-iii-mpc85xx%2Fmpc837xe-
> modular-development-
> system%3AMPC837XEMDS&data=05%7C01%7Cleoyang.li%40nxp.com%7Ca2
> 820c1e442640c5a39108db1339fd9f%7C686ea1d3bc2b4c6fa92cd99c5c301635%
> 7C0%7C1%7C638124912025220501%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoi
> MC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C300
> 0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=052dpEEcGmbuhRLnMDCNoOkTeguF%2BPA0oJGNvV1
> jSjI%3D&reserved=0
> [4]
> https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww
> .nxp.com%2Fproducts%2Fprocessors-and-microcontrollers%2Flegacy-mpu-
> mcus%2Fpowerquicc-processors%2Fpowerquicc-ii-pro-mpc83xx%2Flow-
> power-powerquicc-ii-pro-processor-with-ddr2-tdm-pci-security-usb-quicc-
> engine-with-
> utopia%3AMPC8323E&data=05%7C01%7Cleoyang.li%40nxp.com%7Ca2820c1
> e442640c5a39108db1339fd9f%7C686ea1d3bc2b4c6fa92cd99c5c301635%7C0%
> 7C1%7C638124912025220501%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4
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> C%7C%7C&sdata=mZQh%2FogNgNUb0wNJV972kYIDvn61gx0TWNd1u1d7PZ
> Q%3D&reserved=0
> [5]
> https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww
> .nxp.com%2Fdocs%2Fen%2Ffact-
> sheet%2FMPC8379ERDBFS.pdf&data=05%7C01%7Cleoyang.li%40nxp.com%7
> Ca2820c1e442640c5a39108db1339fd9f%7C686ea1d3bc2b4c6fa92cd99c5c3016
> 35%7C0%7C1%7C638124912025220501%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJ
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> KQT%2FUls%3D&reserved=0
> [6]
> https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww
> .digikey.ca%2Fen%2Fproducts%2Fdetail%2Fnxp-usa-inc%2FMPC8349E-MITX-
> GP%2F1204733&data=05%7C01%7Cleoyang.li%40nxp.com%7Ca2820c1e44264
> 0c5a39108db1339fd9f%7C686ea1d3bc2b4c6fa92cd99c5c301635%7C0%7C1%7
> C638124912025220501%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAw
> MDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%
> 7C&sdata=hw6IQDUaXH6huQFCnCkFIbNfj1xMrq%2FanDMUU%2FXZYQg%3
> D&reserved=0
> [7]
> https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww
> .nxp.com%2Fdocs%2Fen%2Freference-
> manual%2FMPC8560ADSUG.pdf&data=05%7C01%7Cleoyang.li%40nxp.com%
> 7Ca2820c1e442640c5a39108db1339fd9f%7C686ea1d3bc2b4c6fa92cd99c5c301
> 635%7C0%7C1%7C638124912025220501%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJ
> WIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%
> 7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Ed%2BZR07y9Sp8xx5H47SAXzk9ET73creygxk%2B
> emmbfuA%3D&reserved=0
> 
> Cc: Scott Wood <oss@buserror.net>
> Cc: Michael Ellerman <mpe@ellerman.id.au>
> Cc: Benjamin Herrenschmidt <benh@kernel.crashing.org>
> Cc: Paul Mackerras <paulus@samba.org>
> Cc: Li Yang <leoyang.li@nxp.com>
> Cc: Claudiu Manoil <claudiu.manoil@nxp.com>
> 
> ---
> 
> Paul Gortmaker (4):
>   powerpc: drop MPC834x_MDS platform support
>   powerpc: drop MPC836x_MDS platform support
>   powerpc: drop MPC837x_MDS platform support
>   powerpc: drop MPC832x_MDS platform support
> 
>  arch/powerpc/boot/Makefile                    |   1 -
>  arch/powerpc/boot/dts/mpc832x_mds.dts         | 436 ---------------
>  arch/powerpc/boot/dts/mpc834x_mds.dts         | 403 --------------
>  arch/powerpc/boot/dts/mpc836x_mds.dts         | 481 -----------------
>  arch/powerpc/boot/dts/mpc8377_mds.dts         | 505 ------------------
>  arch/powerpc/boot/dts/mpc8378_mds.dts         | 489 -----------------
>  arch/powerpc/boot/dts/mpc8379_mds.dts         | 455 ----------------
>  .../configs/83xx/mpc832x_mds_defconfig        |  59 --
>  .../configs/83xx/mpc834x_mds_defconfig        |  58 --
>  .../configs/83xx/mpc836x_mds_defconfig        |  64 ---
>  .../configs/83xx/mpc837x_mds_defconfig        |  58 --
>  arch/powerpc/configs/mpc83xx_defconfig        |   4 -
>  arch/powerpc/configs/ppc6xx_defconfig         |   4 -
>  arch/powerpc/platforms/83xx/Kconfig           |  32 --
>  arch/powerpc/platforms/83xx/Makefile          |   4 -
>  arch/powerpc/platforms/83xx/mpc832x_mds.c     | 110 ----
>  arch/powerpc/platforms/83xx/mpc834x_mds.c     | 101 ----
>  arch/powerpc/platforms/83xx/mpc836x_mds.c     | 210 --------
>  arch/powerpc/platforms/83xx/mpc837x_mds.c     | 103 ----
>  19 files changed, 3577 deletions(-)
>  delete mode 100644 arch/powerpc/boot/dts/mpc832x_mds.dts
>  delete mode 100644 arch/powerpc/boot/dts/mpc834x_mds.dts
>  delete mode 100644 arch/powerpc/boot/dts/mpc836x_mds.dts
>  delete mode 100644 arch/powerpc/boot/dts/mpc8377_mds.dts
>  delete mode 100644 arch/powerpc/boot/dts/mpc8378_mds.dts
>  delete mode 100644 arch/powerpc/boot/dts/mpc8379_mds.dts
>  delete mode 100644 arch/powerpc/configs/83xx/mpc832x_mds_defconfig
>  delete mode 100644 arch/powerpc/configs/83xx/mpc834x_mds_defconfig
>  delete mode 100644 arch/powerpc/configs/83xx/mpc836x_mds_defconfig
>  delete mode 100644 arch/powerpc/configs/83xx/mpc837x_mds_defconfig
>  delete mode 100644 arch/powerpc/platforms/83xx/mpc832x_mds.c
>  delete mode 100644 arch/powerpc/platforms/83xx/mpc834x_mds.c
>  delete mode 100644 arch/powerpc/platforms/83xx/mpc836x_mds.c
>  delete mode 100644 arch/powerpc/platforms/83xx/mpc837x_mds.c
> 
> --
> 2.17.1