[ovs-dev] [risc 2/4] packets: Do not assume that IPv4, TCP, or ARP headers are 32-bit aligned.

[Ben Pfaff]

On Tue, Aug 27, 2013 at 01:01:18PM -0700, Alex Wang wrote:
> Thanks Ben for the explanation,
> 
> I confused myself. After running some experiment, I'm all good now.
> 
> > Do you know how i can try compile for RISC?
> >
> > You need a RISC platform.  There are many, but none of them is really
> > popular in a desktop setting.
> >
> > I do have an old SPARC machine (SunBlade 100), that belongs to Justin,
> > in my office.  (I use it to hold up my monitor, so sometimes I say
> > that it is my "platform" for OVS development.)  You could borrow it if
> > you want.  It is quite slow.
> 
> I basically want to double-check it by compile OVS in RISC platform and
> make check it. Since it is your OVS development machine, could I count on
> you for it? ;)

It's my "platform" in the sense of a flat surface that you put things
on, in this case my monitor.  I haven't even plugged it in for a year.

This will definitely get some exposure on RISC machines since the goal
is to fix all the nasty Debian build failures seen here in red:
        https://buildd.debian.org/status/package.php?p=openvswitch
Many of those architectures are RISC, and I think all of them except
i386 and amd64 enforce alignment restrictions.  (Actually i386 and
amd64 can enforce alignment restrictions but no one ever turns that
feature on.)

> Totally makes sense, I'm good with this patch.

Thanks.