On Thu, 27 Aug 1998, Gleb O. Rajko wrote:
> > The other one is using the PROM routines (works on all DECstations). This is
> > what promcon.c in arch/mips/dec is for and is intended as a temporary
> > solution until we have charakter device drivers to use as console devices
> > for
> > all DECstations.
>
> Why temporary solution ? My experience shows prom console is good
> enough to have it permanently. It's bug free, the code is small, higher
> console code allows to emulate linux-like terminal on top of prom console.
I prefer a serial console for a prom console, the prom console on a
DS5k/25 is slower than a terminal connected at 9600 bps.
> I would recommend to look at SPARC/Linux code beginning from 2.1.109
> (according to vger cvs tree, I don't know what is Linus' version that
> corresponds to). Around this version console stuff was rewritten and became
> more clear. Now, SPARC/Linux allows to have several consoles: prom,
> sbus and ATI Mach (available only on UltraSparc). There are also
> run-time options to select, something like console=prom.
DECstations in the 5k series allow several TURBOchannel Option Modules,
I doubt if you have a framebuffer that one wants the use the promconsole,
perhaps in single user mode in an emergency case. As of Linus' version
2.1.107 framebuffers are used.
Regards,
Richard
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