Re: SPARC packages availability for 9.0 and install report

[Riccardo Mottola <riccardo.mottola%libero.it@localhost>]

Hi,

Romain Dolbeau wrote:
> Le mar. 5 mai 2020 à 12:16, Riccardo Mottola
> <riccardo.mottola%libero.it@localhost> a écrit :
>> I sucesfully installed NetBSD 9.0 on a SparcStation 20 (nothing
>> exciting, single CPU, no cache, since the nice HyperSPARC Dual CPU with
>> Cache "fried" giving errors at boot... I think the cache/cache
>> controller is gone) [*]
> Tough luck, HyperSPARC modules are quite rare by now, and I don't
> remember cache being a weakness :-(
> On the other hand, most of my SM71 have cache issues and are dead.
>
> Do yourself a favor - try to get a couple of SM61 for the SS20. They
> will be much faster than any non-cached module, compatible with every
> OS, and there's still some to be found. And they are a whole lot more
> reliable than the SM71. SM81 are too hot for my taste (and rare, as
> well).

Right... I have 2xSM61 in my SS10 which I just finished upgrading to
NetBSD 8.2 (at least userland, packages are an issue)

This SS20 was kept with Solaris for a long time, then OpenBSD.... then
the module died (and now retried)

Never seen a SM81 physically....

I looked on eBay... and I can't find anything decent at a decent price!

>
> Of course if you want to compile a lot and have maxed out memory, you
> could try for a pair of SM512 to get four CPUs...

I was able to "improve" with modules I have around to 224MB! but still,
4CPU could be used only for certain builds, most often now compilers
suck a lot of memory. I don't remember if the SS20 maximum is 256 or 512....

You can also have 3CPUs.

I have now a single super-sparc 50Mhz no cache (SM50 ?) which is the CPU
I got 13 Years ago with the computer.. put it back in place.

I retained aother SuperSparc, it is 40Mhz, but same CPU code. I did a
new attempt, and in the "right" order, I get a dual-cpu setup, both
running at 40Mhz! cool! NetBSD boots (back then, when I tried, I had
OpenBSD and it didn't). I thought you couild run them at different
speeds, but apparently not.
However, the machine is not stable, after a couple
of hours of using, it locked up.
I wonder if it is a NetBSD problem or system. Usually these locks up are
cache coherency, but in this case, there is none.

Removed the cpu, put in the 50Mhz is compiling since days! yaya!!!
packages flow in one after the other and saved as Robert suggested :-P
Having 2 Disks....
I think I will share them... if they work.


>
>> So well, solution was to get another drive, dump miniroot on it.... and
>> I was finally able to work.
> Very old hard drives will be unreliable; newer SCA drives will fit an
> SS20 but may run too hot.

I already exchanged the original ones... they were very small, 2x512MB
but were very small and cool.
Now I have otter drives, but seems to run stbale, but alas, I have now
only one small CPU :-P


>
> The solution I tried yesterday after I saw your message was to move my
> SCSI2SD V5 (with a new SD card) from my IPX to the CDROM connector in
> a SS20 (I have a SCA drive with Sol7 that I didn't want to erase),
> works just fine, it's running 'cvs -q -z2 -d
> anoncvs%anoncvs.NetBSD.org@localhost:/cvsroot checkout -r pkgsrc-2020Q1 -P
> pkgsrc' right now :-) (it's not fast...).

Nice! perhaps we can share packages... I'll update at the end of this
weekend.

Riccardo