Subject: Re: Mac IIfx
To: John Valente <jv@gensym.com>
From: Henry B. Hotz <hotz@jpl.nasa.gov>
List: port-mac68k
Date: 03/21/1997 17:30:53
At 7:08 PM 3/21/97, John Valente wrote:
>Hello,
>
>   I just recently learned about NetBSD and just subscribed to this list a
>couple of hours ago, so I'm sorry if I violate any protocol...

No problem, even if it is a FAQ everyone does it.
>
>I'm just wondering if anyone's ever run Net BSD on a MacIIfx.  It was absent
>from the list on www.macbsd.com/macbsd/macbsd-docs/machine-status.  I assume
>there would be no problem, since all the other Mac II models seem to work fine,
>but my old machine is some 200 miles away and I don't want to get it if it's
>known that NetBSD will fail on it.

It's known that it will fail on it.

There are (at least) two problems:  The SCSI has a DMA interface different
from every other Mac in existance which is not supported.  It has some
undocumented 6502-based co-processors to run the serial interfaces (and ADB
I think).  The latter are similar to the 900/950 and someone was looking at
them reciently.

I guess in theory you could get it running as a diskless client with no
local interfaces.  Not much good, except maybe as a router if you put
multiple Ethernet cards into it.

Care to take a crack at either of the problems?

Signature failed Preliminary Design Review.
Feasibility of a new signature is currently being evaluated.
h.b.hotz@jpl.nasa.gov, or hbhotz@oxy.edu