[PD-dev] Macs to transition to ARM processors

[Charles Z Henry]

I'll answer my own questions (I think)

On Fri, Jun 26, 2020 at 11:40 AM Charles Z Henry <czhenry at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> What do you think this will do for the GPU support though?

The last time Apple used a PowerVR GPU was on the A10 in 2016.  Since
then, Apple has been designing their own "4-core", "6-core", and
"8-core" GPUs on their A-series chips.

> There are a couple mali architectures now that support OpenGL (
> Bifrost https://wiki.debian.org/PanfrostLima )

So, probably not going down this path.

> I'm out of practice, but I was once tinkering with an Allwinner A80
> with a PowerVR GPU, and there was OpenGL support in the proprietary
> binaries, somewhere....  I gave up.  It does Open GLES and sits in a
> drawer until I think of what to do with it

Jan 2020, and it's still a headline to get linux running on an A10:
https://tuxphones.com/linux-kernel-boots-on-t8010-a10-iphone-7-via-pongoos/

> or do you think they'll adopt NVIDIA (like the jetson nano)?  NV
> already puts pci-e (some lanes) on its jetsons with arm cores, so in a
> few more cycles, maybe there will be enough on-chip to support all the
> connectors, network stuff that apple puts on laptops/desktops

Probably not this either.

> And there was that fusion CL/GL API they wanted to put out called
> Metal.  I haven't followed along with its progress.  Is it related?

Seems like a lot of work to keep all those custom GPU's supported.  I guess, No.


>
> On Mon, Jun 22, 2020 at 4:25 PM Dan Wilcox <danomatika at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > Howdy all,
> >
> > Apple announced today that it will transition from Intel to its own Arm processors. What this will bring is:
> >
> > * Universal 2: x86_64 & arm fat binaries
> > * Rosetta 2: emulation layer from x86_64 to arm
> >
> > For Pd, this means that current binaries will most likely *run* but who knows how the performance will be good for realtime DSP. OTOH, they did demo a game and some virtualization support so it seems they have focused on making things run as well as they can.
> >
> > Building Pd itself for macOS arm should be relatively easy, just a different arch target. For externals, this would may require an additional fat lib type, perhaps dfat_2? Note, I believe the distinction will be important for us since we still have "Universal 1" builds. As with the Pd core, updating pd-lib-builder should also be relatively easy by adding the new arch targets, depending on what they are.
> >
> > For deken, this means recompiling and uploading the new fat type.
> >
> > I don't imagine it will be possible to have a "fatter lib" which supports ppc, x86, x86_64, & arm. I believe the writing is on the wall for the eventual need for a build system newer then OS X 10.6.
> >
> > --------
> > Dan Wilcox
> > @danomatika
> > danomatika.com
> > robotcowboy.com
> >
> >
> >
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