> From: Bruce Lane <kyrrin@bluefeathertech.com>
> Subject: KB/Mouse/Framebuffer on 3000/600
>
> 	Well, my last question turned out to be kind of a head-smacker in
> retrospect. I just realized that not only did I ask about FreeBSD in a
> NetBSD group, I later found out that FreeBSD no longer supports the 3000
> family. <sigh>

I was kind of wondering how to reply to that ... :-)

> 	No matter... onward we go! I've gotten conflicting information regarding
> the compatibility of the keyboard, mouse, and PMAG frame buffer in the
> 3000/600. Can someone please give me a definitive answer as to...:
>
> 	1). Are the aforementioned devices supported or not for 1.4 and up?
>
> 	2). If they are not now supported, will they be in times to come?
>
> 	3). What is the obstacle to supporting those three for X11 and/or NetBSD?

I'll send a later email on the status of the console. There is no X server,
although a NetBSD developer has reverse engineered some part of the interface.
Without access to the accelerations, though, I doubt if we could do a good
X server.

Regarding installation, see the NetBSD/alpha news column item about
Bob Nestor's non-profit CD operation. He has a bootable alpha 1.4 CD.
See:
	http://www.netbsd.org/Ports/alpha/index.html

Actually all of the NetBSD CD's from 1.4 and on have been bootable on alpha.
If you or someone you know has the NetBSD 1.4 CD that was given away to
all Usenix attendees last month, it's bootable on alpha. (I was expecting
that this would be for sale on www.netbsd.com. It isn't, and I have no idea
why not.)

Thanks for the HW offer. One thing we really need, BTW, is for someone who
knows someone to come up with an interface specification for it. It was
never published, but at this point, it's all obsolete and cancelled and
so the only obstacle to our getting a copy is finding some insider who
still has one.

	ross.harvey@computer.org