Slackware AArch64-current development
 

Hello!

The official Slackware AArch64 ('SA64' for short) port has begun in earnest, and the stage 1 bootstrap platform is still warm from being cooked up in Slackware Master. I'm keeping the ChangeLog up to date.

The focus presently is to blend in the changes required to develop and maintain SA64 to the Slackware ARM master build environment, and have SA64 following the 32bit ARMv7 port whilst it builds its way to the release of Slackware 15.0.

Once 15.0's released, the development effort on SA64 will be stepped up. The goal is to have the RockPro64 supported out of the box using the official Slackware installer whilst we're still largely in lockdown (it's a great project to keep occupied and avoid reading the news!). After that I'll turn my focus to the PinebookPro.

Once I get to the final stages I'll be reviewing the forum here to see if there's any specific config settings and additional platform drivers required.
I know how much work is involved in porting Slackware to another architecture (as Slackware is not set up to be 'built from scratch'): Big thanks to sndwvs for the huge contribution, dedication and effort in building Slarm64 - it's been encouraging to see the interest in Slackware on AArch64.

Robby merged in the changes for AArch64 for slackpkg just yesterday, ready for inclusion into Slackware.

I've still got a number of episodes in the editing pipeline for Season02 of SlackChat podcast, and at some point we'll maybe show the boot of Slackware AArch64's maiden voyage onto the RockPro64. You never know, it might actually work first time (you never know, the hard float port did!) ;-)

Funding for this project is also appreciated, and remember that Slackware ARM is downstream of Slackware, so please pay a visit to Patrick's Patreon page first (details are within the page blurb of the Slackware ARM patreon page).

Wishing you godspeed, MoZes. :thumbsup:

Looking forward to getting this onto my RPi4. I know you’re not a fan of RPis, drmozes, but I appreciate SlackwareARM, and the help you’ve given exaga so that I’m able to have SlackwareARM Sarpied onto my RPi4 and working beautifully.

And while I don’t use sndwvs’s stuff, nor have I ventured into trying Sarpi64, thanks to both sndwvs and exaga as well for contributions that will help develop a full SlackwareARM64/Sarpi64 for RPi4. Feel free to give me a tongue lashing if I’m being presumptuous, but it does seem like everything is lining up for it with all your work so far.

TKS

all sounds great drmozes, and this
YES!

Haha not from me! The truth is that the only thing I've contributed towards Slackware Aarch64 is good old fashioned moral support, plus intermittently earbashing MoZes over the past few years to create it! I doubt that any of my persecuting has had anything to do with his decision, and if I thought/said it did that would be just wild-assumption and pure conjecture on my part. It's more a case that the time is right and the opportunity exists. It's explained quite well in the latter end of the season 1 Slack Chat Podcasts and touched on in season 2. Stay tuned-in to that :D

Incidentally, most of the official Slackware ARM build scripts have included ARM64/Aarch64 instructions for quite some time, and I have been keeping a very close eye on them throughout. This was the main reason why I started the SARPi64 project and tried to cajole the Slackware ARM community into working on a 64bit port back in 2016. So, evidently the official Slackware Aarch64 port has been on the cards for a while. I'm just so happy it's happening now! :thumbsup: ;)

Can't land soon enough! :)

Thanks to all for your efforts!

--
Pete

Hello!

A short progress report: the core OS (minus KDE) has been built and has been stable for a few weeks.
I'm currently working on the installer and finalising the Kernel config, and will set the lead AArch64 builder in Continuous Integration mode for another month or so to pick up the latest updates, whilst I work on integrating handling of another architecture in a few final places.

I've had quite a few people email me directly asking to help testing. I'll push out the OS once I've got all of the basics working on the RockPro64, then I'll be ready for feedback.

32-bit ARMv7 current is almost ready too, it just needs KDE updating and the usual tests.

Thanks for the update!

Looking forward to taking this for a spin in the near future! ;)

--
Pete

Thanks very much for the update Stu. Encouraging news it certainly is, but my anticipation and excitement is far from satisfied and not really being kept well under control. I sincerely hope testing goes smoothly with very few issues, or (preferably) none whatsoever.

I can imagine that there's more than a multitude of anxious, hungry, Slackers who are willing-and-able to assist you with testing. Haha! :D :cool:

I've been making changes to SARPi shizzle with regards to Slackware ARM 15.0 being released. Got a new build machine [RPi4/2GB] that's ready to rock n roll - I'm currently using it to develop the updates to the project website, which are almost complete. Build scripts/processes have been updated and they are more than ready. It's going well and is looking, and working, great from this neck of the woods so far. :thumbsup:

My fleet of OpenBSD boxen have been converted back to Slackware. I am eagerly awaiting 15.0, like Exaga, in a very much uncontrolled way. I have slarm64 on my RockPro64, but it's not Slackware, and I feel dirty. :D

I came across some information today which greatly caught my attention.

"EXIT status 1 - Slackware ARM mirror repository on a Raspberry Pi"

Obviously, you know what this entails and we need to talk. :D

Yes, my long neglected web site that I imported into blogger.com, which is apart of my google apps or G suite domain, exitstatusone.com. There is also exitstatus.one, but I am still on the fence about keeping that one.

:hattip:

This thread is Aarch64 hallowed ground. I will start a new one...

Slackchat podcast S02E09 is up, where Brent Earl joins us as we dive into the initrd of Slackware AArch64.

Quick update: The work on the Slackware installer is now complete and I've reinstalled all of my RockPro64's using it.
Getting there!