We've been over this many times. I stand by my statement: if linux boots
on it then it *probably* has SRM. Yes, linux can boot on *some* specific
boxes, generally 21064 ones, with Milo instead of SRM. But on many platforms
linux requires SRM just like we do, so it's a good if not perfect indication.

There are fine points: if SRM doesn't support your controller you have to
do a "creative" boot .. every time.

	Ross

> From: "Andrew van der Stock" <ajv@greebo.net>
>
> Linux on Alpha has two and a bit ways to boot:
>
> * arc firmware + milo loader (how I did it)
> * srm + aboot loader
> * floppy booting, which is effectively DOS format loading of a kernel image
> through either SRM or arc firmware booting milo.
>
> AlphaBIOS machines are much harder to boot with. I don't know of any
> Unix-like OS (tru64 or otherwise) that uses AlphaBIOS to boot. AlphaBIOS
> only inflicts more recent Digital hardware, and generally you can make SRM
> run on them (depends on the model). AlphaBIOS and ARC firmware can both boot
> NT.
>
> Andrew
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: port-alpha-owner@netbsd.org [mailto:port-alpha-owner@netbsd.org]On
> Behalf Of Ross Harvey
> Sent: Wednesday, 30 August 2000 10:22
> To: bolo@cs.wisc.edu; port-alpha@netbsd.org
> Subject: Re: NetBSD on newer Alpha boxes?
>
>
> [snip]
>
> I do believe that the intraserver 3140 is based on the "ncr" 53c875 scsi
> chip, which is actually sort of our "standard" host adapter.
>
> It's true that PeeCee hardware changes very rapidly; fortunately, the
> *other* alpha os kernels don't, so as a general rule netbsd alpha supports
> the currently popular-on-alpha pci cards and such.
>
> Actually, the central question you really need to ask is: does it come with
> srm or can you get it?   If the hw supports tru64, then it does have srm.
> if it supports linux, then it probably has srm. NT uses a different console
> that, in general, none of the unix kernels run on.
>
> 	Ross
>
>