Endian wars and anti-portability: this again?

2 days ago

Arguments against portability in open source software are common but flawed.
Old architectures like Alpha, MIPS, SPARC, PowerPC, and Motorola 68000 still have value and use.
Ports are offered because communities want to use software on those architectures, solving real problems.
Big endian systems exist (e.g., System/390, SPARC) and are important for catching bugs and ensuring code quality.
Endian correctness testing is crucial for security and reliability, as bugs can hide in little endian systems.
32-bit architectures remain relevant, especially in resource-constrained environments, and support encourages efficiency.
Refusing community ports harms software quality and community engagement, as seen in successful projects like Linux.

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