Subject: Re: NetBSD 1.6.2 or 2.0.2 on an AS4100
To: None <othyro@freeshell.org>
From: Greg A. Woods <woods@weird.com>
List: port-alpha
Date: 06/06/2005 18:48:31
[ On Sunday, June 5, 2005 at 15:39:27 (-0400), othyro@freeshell.org wrote: ]
> Subject: NetBSD 1.6.2 or 2.0.2 on an AS4100
>
> Is/has anyone successfully running/run NetBSD 1.6.2 or 2.0.2 on an
> AlphaServer 4100? I'd like to use an MP kernel, but if it's just not
> stable enough yet, I'd be happy with a single CPU.
> 
> Any success stories?

Sure!  Not a 4100 unfortunately, just a dual-CPU 4000, but they're
pretty much identical from an OS support point of view.  That's what
I'm using as my main development, home-dir, and file, server.

You will definitely need some kernel patches though to make the SMP run
stable, and the same issues seem to affect all multi-CPU alphas, and all
releases of NetBSD too, IIUC.

PR#'s 26383, 26384, and 25599 cover all the main issues and I think they
include all the necessary patches too, but I can probably sort out a
complete patch set from my working tree if need be.

I suspect the issue I posted about yesterday is yet another
manifestation of 25599 that's not fixed by the current patches.  However
it's quite rare -- and I've only seen it on the busy 4-CPU ES40, not on
any of my less-busy dual-CPU machines.

-- 
						Greg A. Woods

H:+1 416 218-0098  W:+1 416 489-5852 x122  VE3TCP  RoboHack <woods@robohack.ca>
Planix, Inc. <woods@planix.com>          Secrets of the Weird <woods@weird.com>