On Thursday 03 February 2005 00:10, Andreas Drewke wrote:

We use NetBSD 1.x and now 2.x in our x86 based PC104 embedded devices.

> 1. Is it possible to run NetBSD/i386 from a CF like storage device(maybe
> more a question of bios)?

Of course you can boot NetBSD from Compact Flash card. At system level CF=20
cards looks like an ordinary IDE disk -> no problems with most of operating=
=20
systems.

In general you can use/boot NetBSD from any solid state disk with IDE=20
interface. For example Compact Flash or Disk On Module (DOM) and so on.

We also boot NetBSD from USB Flash Disk which looks like an SCSI over USB=20
disk, but here you need BIOS which supports USB devices.

> 2. Is it possible to run it without graphics card? Is this possible at all
> on x86 hardware (hmm, might depend on bios and hardware I guess too)

Of course it is. I used NetBSD on PC104 CPU cards without internal or exter=
nal=20
video/BIOS and it works just fine out of box.

> 2. What about things like swap partitions. There will be enough ram in th=
at
> machine for the task it will do. But does NetBSD prefer a  small swap spa=
ce
> thow to do some VM tasks?

When booting from CF i do not confiure swap partition at all so it's abscen=
t=20
at run time. For now system works without any problems.

> 4. Has anybody any other thoughts that comes to mind when reading this?

Never get boards with Disk On Chip (DOC) from M-Systems. Really weird, usel=
ess=20
and completely propertiually closed flash device. And IMHO rather overprice=
d.

> 5. Am I insane just to consider NetBSD?

=46rom my point of view NetBSD operates really great in embedded systems/de=
vices=20
and this is a good choice. Surely not only on x86 based boards but for=20
example on ARM boards too.

// wbr