Date: Thu, 25 Jul 2002 22:46:24 +0200 From: Wilko Bulte <wkb@freebie.xs4all.nl> To: Mike Cochran <wab@sbcglobal.net> Cc: freebsd-alpha@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Will my machine run freeBSD? Message-ID: <20020725224624.E638@freebie.xs4all.nl> In-Reply-To: <00bc01c2341b$80c32830$6e787043@salamundi.com>; from wab@sbcglobal.net on Thu, Jul 25, 2002 at 01:40:21PM -0700 References: <00bc01c2341b$80c32830$6e787043@salamundi.com>
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On Thu, Jul 25, 2002 at 01:40:21PM -0700, Mike Cochran wrote: Side note: can you please keep email lines < 75 chars ? > I have freebsd installed on an old intel machine, and I am enjoying working with the OS from a hobbyist's perspective. I'm kinda bored with x86 and want to pick up an old alphaserver. I have access to an older alpha machine, a (compaq) "Digital Ultimate Workstation 533a" that I can pick up for VERY cheap. So I'd like to try installing freeBSD on this unused alpha if possible. That should be possible. > This alpha, which is basically an alphaserver 1200, originally shipped with NT and I'm sure it boots into alphabios. There is another version of the machine that shipped with digital unix or vms that is called the 533au. That is correct. Your 'whitebox' does not allow running Dunix or VMS (you can tweak the SRM, google to find out how) as-is. FreeBSD is happy with whiteboxes :) > My question is: Is there a setting in the firmware that allows you to choose between alphabios and srm? If not, can I update/change the firmware on this "Digital alpha workstation 533a" to load the firmware that supports digital unix, and therefore possibly freeBSD or failing that, some other linux, as well? The AS1200 has AlphaBIOS and SRM in the same flashrom IIRC. Search the AlphaBios menus for a setup item that says "Operating system type UNIX" (or something close to that, it has been a while). > Any help would be very cool. This is a new area to me, I've never played around on these machines before, and I don't even have one in front of me to know if my question even makes sense. It does, no worries. You also want to read the Alpha hardware docs that come on the FreeBSD/alpha CDROM. Wilko -- | / o / /_ _ |/|/ / / /( (_) Bulte wilko@FreeBSD.org To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-alpha" in the body of the message
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