Linux 7.4 Removes ARM64 Big Endian Support
Linux 7.4 is removing support for big-endian kernel builds for the ARM64 architecture. This code was broken and rarely used.
Summary: Linux 7.4 is removing support for big-endian kernel builds for the ARM64 architecture. This code was broken and rarely used.
Linux kernel version 7.4 is removing big-endian support for the ARM64 architecture. This decision was made because the relevant code has been broken for a long time and is rarely used in practice. Cleaning up unused or unmaintained code is a common practice in kernel development processes.
Endianness refers to how multi-byte data is stored in memory in computer architecture. In big-endian systems, the most significant byte is stored at the lowest memory address, while in little-endian systems, the least significant byte is stored at the lowest address. Most modern ARM64 processors operate in little-endian mode, and big-endian support has become rarely used, especially in server and embedded systems.
This change will not affect the vast majority of existing ARM64-based systems, as these systems already operate in little-endian mode. However, for very specific and older big-endian ARM64 hardware or projects using custom build configurations, this could create a compatibility issue. The number of such scenarios is quite small.
It is important for engineers to be aware of the endianness requirements of their hardware and software stacks. Especially when working on embedded systems or custom hardware platforms, such architectural details can be critical. Removing such code from the kernel aims to reduce maintenance overhead and improve overall kernel quality.
🔗 Source: Phoronix Hardware
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