hardware and package builds (was: Re: Doesn't anything work around here?)

[Royce Williams]

Kris Kennaway wrote, on 11/4/2007 2:40 AM:
> That is no problem, even on single CPU machines I run concurrent builds
> since it turns out to be more efficient.  In the past we have even used
> 14 CPU e4500 machines for package builds although they all died from
> hardware failure.

I'd like to put some time and money where my mouth is on package builds.

To summarize a couple of threads and off-list exchanges:

- A 4x 450MHz Ultra 80 would be good for sparc64 package builds, and
all of the CPUs would be useful.

- There are more machines used by the project than there is space to
comfortably host them, so remote hosting is needed.

- If more packages were working and built more often, and if
freebsd-update was available for sparc64, the overall "health" of the
platform would be improved.


Based on the above, here are some proposed actions and associated
questions.

System: I am willing to buy a 4x U80 for myself and make it available
to the project for package builds.  Shipping to Alaska is a bear, so
once the deal goes down, if any other donors could chip in to get it
shipped here, I would appreciate it.  I don't want to do this,
however, unless it will actually be useful -- and used.  Will it?

Alternate system: IIRC from a couple of years ago, the unsupported
onboard SCSI controller in my Ex500 machines prevented me from easily
making them available to the project.  What is the status of the
needed (esp?) driver port from NetBSD?

Disk: How much disk will be needed for package builds, and what
configuration will reduce turnaround time?

Remote access: I will ask my employer if we can host the U80 on work
premises and provide remote access.  Kris, I assume that your needs
haven't changed since this post?

http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/htdig/freebsd-sparc64/2004-August/001961.html

Load/use: How much daily/hourly load would the system see?  I assume
that ports are built on a rolling basis (as they're updated) between
release cycles, and that there's a big push to prepare an entire
package set for a given release?

Tools: I've only just now discovered and started to try to grok
ports/Tools/portbuild/scripts/*, so I have some catching up to do to
even understand scope here.  What other recommended reading is there?


Royce

-- 
Royce D. Williams                                - IP Engineering, ACS
http://www.tycho.org/royce/                   - PGP: 3FC087DB/1776A531
You can never tell what a programmer is doing 'til it's too late ~Cray