On Sun, 31 May 1998, Jacob Suter wrote:

> I'm wondering:
> 
> Did anything happen with video support?

It's been added to MicroVAX II (and others?) with QDSS video hardware. 
There isn't anybody actively working on video for the VS2000 or VS3100s
that I know of. Ragge has done some rearrangement of the serial driver
code for the VAXstations in order to make way for future support of mice
and keyboards.  One would assume this is with the ultimate intent of
supporting non-terminal consoles. 

> Can I self boot off SCSI (all mine have dual SCSI controllers)

Um, maybe.  I recall people saying they'd done it, but I never remember
reading anything conclusively correct.  I have not even begun to play with
that yet.  At the very least I think it'd be nice to be able to boot from
floppy, which should be feasible.

> Does the SCSI still suck?

Um, it has it's issues still.

> Can I actually get the whole base system on two 100MB HD's and maybe a
> little swap too?

Yes.  I found the 160Meg RD54 to be just a bit too tight, but 200Meg ought
to be okay.  Of course it really isn't an option until we get the SCSI
driver fixed up some.

> I don't mind NFSing my home directories, but NFSing everything gets a
> bit intensive on my lame PeeCees. 
> 
> I figured I'd put NetBSD/VAX through its paces as a little toy shell
> server for a while... 

I'm trying to tackle a couple of the fundamental weaknesses in the
NetBSD/vax port, and I'm not talking about the code.  Basically, I think
we've got enough competent people around to actually make serious progress
on the port.  Free time is still an issue, but that's the case for other
ports as well, so I figure that's just something we have to deal with.

The biggest problems I see are: [1] a lack of documentation for the
hardware we're attempting to support, [2] a lack of a way to easily
distribute any documentation to which various individuals do have access,  
[3] developers who're attempting to support hardware to which they don't
have access.

DEC has been kind in the past to both the development of Linux and
other port of NetBSD, so I'm hopeful with the right approach we can get
assistance from them in the way of documentation for these obsolete
systems we're trying to support.  It'd be nice to get hardware donations
for developers from DEC as well, but I really don't expect it.  I'm
willing to financially support what meager endeavours I can reasonably
afford through "Brian funded" hardware donations to key developers.

Additionally, I'm looking for a decent ISP and a fixed IP address in order
to get a NetBSD/i386 system on the internet proper. The system would be
complete with cross-compile setup for VAX and accounts for developers. 
Then off of that machine would be provisions for connecting to the serial
consoles of a well rounded collection of VAX systems.  I mean, if you
can't get hardware to all the developers, you can certainly try to get all
the developers to the hardware. 

At this point I've all the VAXen that I can possibly cope with (minus say 
an 11/750), and I've got all the bits to make a nice NetBSD host PC,
including a 16port serial card for connecting up to the VAX consoles.  
I'm just shy a few serial cables, some time to assemble it all, and a
dedicated net connection.

Anyway, so that is the plan.  Yes I am insane.

-brian.
---
Brian "JARAI" Chase | http://world.std.com/~bdc/ | VAXZilla LIVES!!!