Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2001 11:33:32 -0700 From: Terry Lambert <tlambert2@mindspring.com> To: buzzwang@gamersgarrison.com Cc: freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: FreeBSD install on AlphaBios equipped DEC Alpha's Message-ID: <3B4F3EFC.8EF564BA@mindspring.com> References: <010601c10b78$a1a65c60$0501010a@gamersgarrison.com>
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Group Captain Buzzwang wrote: > > I have 4 DEC Alpha XLT's here (all are 300mhz 256m ram) that I have > wanted to put to use for some time. I really, really wanted to install > FBSD on them but FBSD doesn't support an Alpha that isn't using SRM > firmware. All 4 of mine are equipped with the latest (v5.66) AlphaBIOS > as that is all that is available anymore from Digital/Compaq. I queried > them about it a couple months ago and the reply was rather abrupt: "It's > not available." > > I just finished installing Debian GNU/Linux on one of them. I tried it > because I was told that Debian has a method of using the AlphaBIOS (made > for installing WinNT only) to install and run Linux. > > It seems Debian uses to files: linload.exe and another referred to as > MILO (Mini Loader) to bootstrap the OS into operation. It actually works > out quite well, and I was a little surprised to see things running in a > short time. Problem is that I want to use FBSD, not Linux, on these > boxes. I have nothing against Linux, but I figure that it's better to > run FBSD with Linux support than just straight Linux. That and I find > that I really like FBSD anyway. MILO loads it's own firmware, which the Linux people wrote from scratch. You are lucky it works on your particular hardware. FreeBSD has a more sophisticated VM model than Linux, and the Linux-written firmware is missing a number of crucial instructions which are not missing from SRM, and so can not use the Linux firmware, without modifications which no one has written yet. You should post your question to the -alpha mailing list, instead of -hackers, since there has been some work on making the AlphaBIOS work natively (e.g. without replacing it with hand written and incomplete firmware which may not be appropriate, or may damage your machine irreparably, if there is too great a mismatch). I believe they had it to the point of being able to load the kernel into memory, and start up some of the memory management, last time they posted about it, but that was some time ago. You may also find that they know where you can find an SRM firmware for the machine, if it isn't one of the ones where the necessary chip gate has been lasered to death to keep people from using SRM with the chip. -- Terry To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-hackers" in the body of the message
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