Date: Sat, 13 Sep 1997 19:30:12 +0200 (MET DST) From: Wilko Bulte <wilko@yedi.iaf.nl> To: thorpej@nas.nasa.gov Cc: FreeBSD-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: FreeBSD on non-PCI based Alpha machines? Message-ID: <199709131730.TAA00900@yedi.iaf.nl> In-Reply-To: <199709130951.CAA15655@lestat.nas.nasa.gov> from "Jason Thorpe" at Sep 13, 97 02:51:12 am
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As Jason Thorpe wrote... > On Sat, 13 Sep 1997 11:12:13 +0200 (MET DST) > Wilko Bulte <wilko@yedi.iaf.nl> wrote: > > > There are quite a number of PCI-mixed-with-EISA Alpha machines so there > > might be some interest. It seems FreeBSD can handle the old 'Bird' Argh: I meant to type NetBSD... > > machines (Sandpiper, Flamingo) which are all Turbochannel boxes. TC is > > not too interesting to me of course ;-) > > FreeBSD for Alpha works? When did that happen? (Serious question :-) > > The last I heard, the FreeBSD-for-Alpha folks were mainly interested > in the PCI Alphas. I can imagine that, no problem. > Now, *NetBSD* does support the TurboChannel systems, quite a number > of the PCI systems (including ones with EISA), and the TurboLaser > systems (e.g. the AlphaServer 8200 and 8400 - the machines that > AltaVista runs on...) I know, I work for DEC. There is now NT for TurboLaser (aaaaaaargghh) and people seem to like it.. > > runs quite happily with a Intel CPU. Standard SCSI controller is > > a Adaptec 1742A, the video is a Compaq Qvision which at least > > in text mode works with FreeBSD-Intel. > > > > There are some oddities with the Jensen design however, I'll > > just have to read the 5" stack of docs I got with it. > > ...The fact that FreeBSD works with PCs that have this EISA chipset > doesn't mean it will be easy to make the Jensen work. Bus access > on the Alpha works much differently than it does on the PC. And the Jensen hardware implementation is less than standard it seems. But still, there might be reusable code present (I hope). > Yes, NetBSD does run on the "mixed PCI and EISA systems". One such > system is the KN20AA. Here is from my AlphaStation 500 5/500: > > 2038584+915536 [85+99840+57185] > > Entering netbsd at 0xfffffc0000300000... > Copyright (c) 1982, 1986, 1989, 1991, 1993 > The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved. > > NetBSD 1.2G (GENERIC) #12: Sat Sep 13 00:31:33 PDT 1997 > thorpej@mother.nas.nasa.gov:/space2/thorpej/src/sys/arch/alpha/compile/GENERIC > AlphaStation 500 or 600 (KN20AA), 500MHz > 8192 byte page size, 1 processor. > real mem = 268435456 (2252800 reserved for PROM, 266182656 used by NetBSD) > avail mem = 227098624 > using 3249 buffers containing 26615808 bytes of memory > mainbus0 (root) > cpu0 at mainbus0: ID 0 (primary), 21164A (reserved minor type) > > Note the way EISA is set up on this system - it's bridged off the PCI. > This is simmilar to a standard PCI-ISA bridge. > > On the PCI Alphas, all bus access goes through the PCI bus. On the Jensen, > however, this is not the case. I forget the details (I'll have to dig out > my Jensen documentation), but bus access on these beasts is a trick. Esp. I do have the hardware docs, but need time to read them. Have to find a housing for the Jensen first, it is now open on the table :-/ > considering that they have 2 logical ISA busses (the ISA bus, and an I/O > chip which presents a separate ISA space, which has the serial ports, > parallel port, etc. on it... as I recall). Yep, there is a multio chip. > Anyhow, if you're interested in getting your Jensen supported by NetBSD, > please drop me a private note. Will do that. Wilko _ ____________________________________________________________________ | / o / / _ Bulte email: wilko@yedi.iaf.nl http://www.tcja.nl/~wilko |/|/ / / /( (_) Arnhem, The Netherlands - Do, or do not. There is no 'try' ----------------------------------------------------------------------Yoda
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