Adam wrote:
> >> I was also wandering if Linux/MIPS would still work if I was to
> >> purchase the R4000 upgrade daughterboard (from DEC) for it?
> >
> >I am responsible for most of the code at the moment, and have been
> >aware of the availability of such daughterboards for a while so I've
> >*tried* to make sure this will work.
> >
> >As I don't have one, and have never met anyone who's bought one, or
> >even knows how much one might cost, I can't tell you for sure if it
> >will work!
>
> I checked on the prices from DEC a while back--they run about $3995
> (!).
Doesn't sound worth it to me...
> I would think it should work because all the motherboard hardware
> would be the same, except for the processor-specific code (which you
> obviously already have for the R4000). Are the R4000s backward -compat.
> with R3000 code?
Up to a point. I have tried to retain the option of compiling the MMU
code for the R4000 when the kernel is otherwise configured for the
DECStations... so this should not be a problem. In fact, it may allow
us to write 64-bit applications for such DECStations (yetch!)
> >Hmmm... the lack of programming skills probably leaves you with beta
> >testing responsibilities :-)
>
> Sounds like fun! :)
Always a barrel of laughs :-)
> I would also like to say that I did get one of the DECstation kernels and I
> had it booting off my i486 Linux 1.3.68 machine within 30minutes with your
> instructions. (I'd never had any experience with tftp/bootp :)
Thank you for the compliment!
> BTW, do these kernels compile only under the cross-dev tools or do they
> compile under ULTRIX too?
Currently under cross-dev tools... though those same tools (gcc etc.)
compiled for Ultrix ought to work as well.
> Also, on your DECstation page you mentioned needing the URLs for the BSD
> DECstation ports--I had these laying around:
>
> NetBSD/pmax http://www.netbsd.org/Ports/pmax/index.html
Thanks, this one seems very interesting, so I've added it. The other
one was hopeless, as you suggested.
Regards,
Paul
_______________________________________________________________________________
Paul M. Antoine, Net: paul@sw.oz.au
Softway Pty Ltd WWW: www.softway.com.au
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Level 2, 79 Myrtle St, Chippendale, NSW 2008, Australia Fax: +61 2 699 9174
"It is the lack of acceptance of diversity which threatens to
destroy society, NOT the free expression of it." - Me.
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