>From mdz@netrail.net Sat Oct 26 01:06:31 1996
Status: O
Newsgroups: 
Date: Sat, 26 Oct 1996 01:06:31 -0400 (EDT)
From: Matt Zimmerman <mdz@netrail.net>
To: Chris G Demetriou <Chris_G_Demetriou@ux2.sp.cs.cmu.edu>
cc: port-alpha@netbsd.org
Subject: Re: AlphaStation 500 (DECchip 21164) problems... 
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In-Reply-To: <18043.846305106@ux2.sp.cs.cmu.edu>
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.95.961026010142.11873B@netrail.net>
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On Sat, 26 Oct 1996, Chris G Demetriou wrote:

> > I'm trying to install NetBSD on an AlphaStation clone...
> Presumably, an AlphaStation clone would behave like an AlphaStation.
> Your board does not; from the information you included, it's an EB164,
> which is a close-but-not-very relative of the AlphaStation 500 and 600
> familieis.  (That is, it's incorrect to refer to it as an AlphaStation
> clone, or an AlphaStation 500...  8-)

This is why I grilled the vendor on exactly what kind of system I was
getting, and what it corresponded to in the DEC line. <sigh>  Apparently I
was misled (and perhaps a bit gullible).  Not being all that familiar with
alphas, I just compared the vendor's answer with the NetBSD supported
hardware list.

> > What, if anything, am I doing wrong?  Suggestions?
> The problem is that your machine is not currently supported.
> 
> I'd be glad to help you make it work when i return from OSDI at the
> end of next week.  It shouldn't be too hard, since the programmer
> reference manual for the hardware is available from the URL posted to
> this list by Matt Thomas a couple of days ago.
> 
> It shouldn't be hard to make the system work -- most likely just
> dealing with slightly different interrupt configuration and handling.
> It should probably take a day or two, for somebody familiar with
> NetBSD/Alpha (like me, though others qualify 8-).

That'd help a lot...just let me know what you need from me.

> Do you have other machines on your network, that you can use to
> diskless boot your system?  if not, life will be slightly harder... do
> you have a floppy drive?  (we could probably make something boot from
> that.)

Yes, both.

--
// Matt Zimmerman       Chief of System Management           NetRail, Inc.
// mdz@netrail.net                                       sales@netrail.net
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