Subject: Re: I'm disapointed with the AMD64 port, and NetBSD in general...
To: Robert Cates <robert@kormar.net>
From: Rui Paulo <rpaulo@NetBSD.org>
List: port-amd64
Date: 07/26/2005 12:50:33
On 2005.07.26 11:59:50 +0000, Robert Cates wrote:
| Hi,
| 
| I'm so excited about 64-bit processors on the desktop, and the AMD64
| processors in particular, that I finally scraped some money together to buy
| some hardware and installed NetBSD/AMD64 2.0.2 on it.  Everything went well
| except for no support for the BCM5751 NIC.  I can accept the fact that the
| NetBSD Foundation cannot pump out new stable/formal releases of NetBSD
| everytime a new hardware device is put on the market, but can't the NetBSD
| Foundation speed up the releases just a bit more, without someone having to
| go to NetBSD-Current(?)...
| 
| Originally I saw on the NetBSD web site that the BCM5751 was supported (this
| is not AMD64 specific), but later found out that the info on that page
| pertained to NetBSD-Current (an oversite on my part).  Today I went to the
| AMD64 web site and followed the link under "Future Releases" (Changes from
| 2.0 to 3.0), and found absolutely nothing for the AMD64 port.  WHY??  I
| think even if the changes for the i386 apply to the AMD64, it should be
| noted, and "AMD64" should be present.
| http://www.netbsd.org/Changes/changes-3.0.html and
| http://www.netbsd.org/Changes/changes-4.0.html

Your NIC is not amd64 or i386 specific, as you probably know. So, I think
there is no point in listing bge(4) changes under the i386 or amd64
port page or in the change list.

| Next, I saw that there are changes listed already for NetBSD 4.0.  WHEN IS
| 3.0 GOING TO BE RELEASED??  I think some sort of (tentative) schedule should
| be posted on the NetBSD web site (right on the front page), and the
| Foundation should be a bit more committed to keeping that schedule.

Right now, you can install NetBSD 3.0_BETA. Grab the sets at
ftp://ftp.netbsd.org/pub/NetBSD-daily/netbsd-3/ and follow the installation
procedure.

It would be something like:
# tar xzpvf kern-GENERIC.tgz -C /
# reboot
# for i in base comp games man misc text xbase xcomp xetc xfont xserver; do 
	tar xzpvf $i.tgz -C /
done
# mkdir /tmp/tmproot
# tar xzpvf etc.tgz -C /tmp/tmproot
# postinstall -s /tmp/tmproot check
# (.. run the command postinstall gave you ..)
# etcupdate -b /tmp/tmproot
# reboot

And you are ready to go.

		-- Rui Paulo