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On Tue, Sep 25, 2001 at 07:02:24AM -0500, Peter Eisch wrote:
> There's no nic in it, it was only used over dial previously.  I figured t=
hat
> once I had it loaded I figure out how it might find a new life.  (eg. NAT=
/FW
> at a mac-only shop like I'd use a sparc classic, LX or i386/P133 in a
> PC-only office.)  I'll try a floppy next.

If you're lucky, the kernel on the floppy will see your CD-ROM and
you'll still be able to install from the CD. (I sort of forgot that
not everyone's sitting on a fastish network connection already. ;^>)

> What are the rules for picking nic's for it?  Do I really want to pick up=
 a
> stock Mac PCI nic or can I use a 3C905 or Dec tulip (fxp) in it?  I was
> prepared to roll a new kernel when I put the those nic's in it already but
> I'm pretty sure the ofw didn't like it so NFS install wasn't an option.

Well, it's at least theoretically irrelevant whether OFW supports it
as long as NetBSD has architecture-independent support for the PCI
card in question. I'm not sure how many drivers are presently
compiled into the macppc install kernel (on the floppy), but I have
a sneaking suspicion it only includes ethernet hardware found
on-board in macs (which doesn't rule out PCI cards, btw: the de and
tlp chips are pretty widely used). But building a custom boot floppy
with the appropriate stuff is easy for anyone with an installed
system, and I'd be glad to make on for you if you'd like.

My personal advice on ethernet cards is that you want to avoid
RealTek 8129/8139 (rtk) chips like the plague, and that almost
everyone would be content and not get ripped off for buying an SMC
EtherPower card. No, I don't work for SMC, and I speak from
experience on the rtk issue (there are two in my i386 firewall on my
DSL, which admittedly do work, but they're definitely bottom barrel
stuff).

--=20
       ~ g r @ eclipsed.net

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