(note: s/linux-sparc/sparclinux/ in the CC list as linux-sparc
list does not exist and never did)
IMHO, fix it ASAP, and write a utiltiy to convert from one to the other.
ie build and install the next kernel that's not going to like things, boot
with a root disk, convert the fs, boot the new kernel and your done ;)
I wish people would make sure they were looking at the sources the
Sparc port actually uses before coming to all these conclusions about
what we do on the Sparc wrt. ext2 filesystems.
The Sparc port has completely rewritten ext2 filesystem code which
does indeed use ext_*_bit() and friends. Our ext2 tools sources have
been updated to do the right thing as well. All of this causes our
port to use stock little endian ext2 filesystems, as has done so since
day one.
I tried to get my kernel level changes to ext2 for this in 2.0* but it
was too late and my changes were too risky to put into the tree at
that point.
One stigma is that the m68k people are very reluctant to use my code,
I've shown it to them and have explained the benefits of using my
method and switching to little endian ext2 on all big endian platforms
by default. They have some reservations due to the fact that so many
pre existing m68k Linux machines use big endian ext2, and the switch
over will be painful if they aren't careful. I can understand this.
I am using the same exact code in both the kernel and ext2 tools for
the MIPS port on big endian machines as well.
Theodore's original message should have been directed to the m68k port
folks since they are the only port with the problem he has brought up.
dm@engr.sgi.com
'Ooohh.. "FreeBSD is faster over loopback, when compared to
Linux over the wire". Film at 11.' -Linus