Re: [MiNT] MiNTLib for ColdFire

[Lonny Pursell <atari@bright.net>]

on 4/29/09 6:36 AM, Petr Stehlik wrote:

> Vincent Rivière píše v St 29. 04. 2009 v 11:47 +0200:
>> Petr Stehlik wrote:
>>> When programmers are going to spend their time to adapt the existing
>>> source code to run on a new processor, to adapt operating system, to add
>>> m68k emulation to it, then why don't they do it the way Apple did and
>>> move to a more mainstream platform (Apple did it even twice, both time
>>> successfully - first PPC, then Intel)?
>> 
>> Because hardware designers are not as much open minded as programmers.
> 
> Please note that my paragraph above is not about HW designers. It is all
> about programmers, guys like you or Lonny, who are willing to support a
> new CPU for MiNT software. If devoting the time, why not do it "right"?
> 
> I know the answer to this question so don't bother replying :-) I just
> couldn't resist...
> 
> Petr

You said not to reply, but I wish to clarify something.  I wish to do the
support for an old CPU. I do not agree with your opinion that CF is an
entirely new CPU.  For me this is the path of least resistance in order to
keep GFA alive. Any other processor would require a full rewrite which just
isn't going to happen.

There's also a segment of coders who rely on GFA, granted small in the grand
scheme of things, but even so, that ends up leaving these users stuck with
emulation as well or force to do a full rewrite or abandon it.

Bens post is typical as I noted in another post, always the suggestions but
who is going to make this super duper native MiNT port to some other
processor?  That's the million dollar question. No such box exists.  I hope
that was your answer.

The day that does happens, GFA will probably end up a dormant project, but
I'd still like to see such a beast of a machine.  You would not see me
jumping on the support band wagon if it was some other processor though. I'd
be sitting in the back row evaluating my options.  Do I stick with GFA and
emulation layers, or do I make that jump to "C", or do I find a new hobby.
;-))

I see the CF as an old friend who maybe went on a long trip, came back a
slightly changed man.  A warm familiar face I can easily speak to.  ;-))
Sounds corny I know. lol

You may not of known that GFA and all related sources are 100% assembler
when you wrote that.  But I felt the need to explain why I prefer the CF
option at this point in time.  :o)

-- 
Lonny Pursell    http://www.bright.net/~gfabasic/