Subject: Re: Will it work?
To: Mark Andres <mark@ratbert.giganet.net>
From: Colin Wood <ender@is.rice.edu>
List: port-mac68k
Date: 03/12/1997 11:55:53
Sorry to take so long on the reply, I'm still catching up on my backlog 
from this weekend...

> Here is a hare-brained scheme that I have come up with and I was wondering
> if it will work or not.  I have a IIcx (20/730) with a "Toby" video card,
> a Microspeed mouse, and Asante Nubus ethernet card.  I absolutely love
> having my 3 button mouse and running X in color!  I now spend much more
> time using my IIcx running netbsd than I do using my PPC running MacOS.
> The only problem is have is the slow IIcx CPU ('030 @ 16Mhz).

Isn't it fun?!?!!! ;-)

> My scheme is this:  get a used Quadra 800.  According to the working
> machine list <http://www.macbsd.com/macbsd/macbsd-docs/machine-status/>
> seems to be running stably, but there is no color X on the internal video
> and the internal ethernet is not yet supported.  I know work is being done
> on these areas.  

Correct so far...

> If I take the video card and ethernet card out of the IIcx and put them in
> the Q800, will netbsd recognize (i.e. can I use) the Nubus video and
> ethernet instead of the built-in hardware?  The machine status has ?? for
> this, so I was wondering if anyone out there has treid this.  I checked
> the user survey but no one has registered a Q800.  Actually, I am not so
> concerned about the ethernet as I am the video.

This should work.  I don't think that the NuBus interface on the Quadras 
is any different than that on the II-series machines.

> If it works, I can use the Nubus card(s) until internal support is added.
> Then, I can return the cards to the IIcx.  My plan is to eventually turn
> the IIcx into a low traffic web server. 

This sounds like it should work just fine.  NetBSD should configure all 
the devices it can find and knows how to configure, so I believe your 
plan is valid.  Go ahead and try it, it certainly shouldn't break 
anything just to try it ;-)

I hope this helps.

Later.

-- 
Colin Wood                                      ender@is.rice.edu
Consultant                                        Rice University
Information Technology Services                       Houston, TX