Subject: Re: marketing NetBSD to the old SunOS crowd
To: NetBSD Bob <nbsdbob@weedcon1.cropsci.ncsu.edu>
From: David Brownlee <abs@anim.dreamworks.com>
List: port-sun3
Date: 09/01/1999 10:59:18
On Wed, 1 Sep 1999, NetBSD Bob wrote:

> I would offer, from the dinosaur end of the spectrum, that NetBSD
> just does not have the right support on the OLD machine hardware.
> For example, none of my VME suns can run NetBSD, because the tape
> drivers basically won't, although they try.  In particular, NetBSD
> really needs an MD and an MT driver for the old hardware.  The MD
> and MT controllers off an SI or SC controller were the basic issue
> Sun equipment.  NetBSD just won't go on those, in my hands.  IFF
> anyone knows how to make them run, or knows of drivers to make them
> run, I would like to lay hands upon same.  It is oh, so close, yet
> oh, so far.....  Alas, I am not the best C programmer, and am a little
> short on time, although maybe this winter some time will free up to
> try to make them work.  I can yank the MD controller, and drop in a
> direct scsi drive, and get it to install, but the tape is still
> not workable, after installation on NetBSD-1.4 on the SI controllers.
> How does one get a tape to properly work on those and still mount in
> a 12 slot deskside case?
> 
	Have you opened a PR on the problem with as much info as you can
	get? (Probably with a kernel with DEBUG, SCSI_DEBUG, and
	DIAGNOSTIC)

> That is why I still run SunOS... (drat!  NetBSD would be so nice!).
> 
	Yup :/


		David/absolute

	Then let us live and love so that people will say;
	     "The devil as well as god... is an englishman."