Call for Discussion: New Project: Galahad

[Julian Waters]

Hi, just a couple of quick questions, if you don't mind

"The initial focus will be on contributing the latest version of the
GraalVM just-in-time (JIT) compiler and integrating it as an alternative to
the existing JIT compiler of the HotSpot VM. Later steps will bring in the
necessary ahead-of-time (AOT) compilation technology to make this new JIT
compiler written in Java available instantly on JVM start and avoid any
interference with application heap usage and execution profiling."

Isn't this what the now inactive Metropolis project aimed to achieve with
Graal as well? It even managed to make substantial progress in having the
Graal compiler available as an alternative JIT, but it was ultimately
removed from the JDK some time ago, due to high maintenance costs (
https://openjdk.org/jeps/410). To my knowledge Metropolis hasn't been
abandoned yet, so wouldn't this project's goals conflict slightly with it?
Also somewhat concerning is the reason for the previous removal, what's not
to say that developers will again under-utilize the Graal runtime compiler
this time?

"We also intend to contribute portions of the Native Image technology as a
general AOT compilation technology for Java applications"

Pretty interesting to think about, but given Leyden's leaning towards
enhancing C2 to compile AOT images, would the multiple available AOT
technologies prove confusing to choose between?

I am glad that compiling the JIT itself ahead of time is also something
being considered though, because that's all the more reason to talk
about compiling AOT code meant to run on HotSpot itself in Leyden, instead
of just closed world images ;)

best regards,
Julian
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