Subject: Article research
To: None <port-dreamcast@netbsd.org>
From: Walt <walt@aa.mbn.or.jp>
List: port-dreamcast
Date: 03/14/2001 01:02:21
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Hello,

I apologize in advance for the nature of this post -I know that this group
is primarily for technical discussion.

By way of introduction, I live in Sendai, Japan and cover console news for
CoreMagazine
(http://www.coremagazine.com), a reasonably diverse console gaming site.

I've been interested in open source OS for a long time now, and I think the
idea of porting BSD to the Dreamcast is unbelievably cool. So, I would like
to research an article on this project for CoreMagazine.  The article would
be posted on the web site as a feature story.  If anyone could give me some
background info on the project's origins and where it is heading, it would
be greatly valued.  I am particularly interested in the below topics:

1. History of the project:
    a. How the project started and when.
    b. People behind the project (y'all!).
    c. Motivation: why (other than the thrill of experimentation) did the
project's initiator(s) want to port NetBSD to  DC?

2. Technical Overview
Note: Although the article will be written for a non-technical audience, I
want to cover the technology behind the project as thoroughly as possible.
e.g.
   a. What are the pros and cons of working with the DC hardware?
   b. Why NetBSD on the DC, as opposed to another OS on another console?
i.e. is there something
       about the Dreamcast architecture that makes it suitable to NetBSD and
vice versa?
   c. What hardware/peripherals are supported?

3. Software
    a. What are some possible uses for running NetBSD software on the
Dreamcast?

4. The Future
    a.  How will the project progress from here?  What are the short/long
term goals for the project?
    b. The X-box will ship with a hard disk, and a PS2 hard disk will be out
soon.  Will we see NetBSD ports that
    take advantage of these systems' mass storage?
    c. If ports for other hardware consoles (PS2, XBox, etc.) are created,
in theory, could this indie developers create
    NetBSD console games that run on any NetBSD supported system?

Again, any information would be greatly appreciated.  Of course,
contributors would be credited in the article (unless they wish to remain
anonymous).

Cheers,
Walter Wyman
---------------------
mailto:walt@coremagazine.com

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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Hello,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I apologize in advance for the nature =
of this post=20
-I know that this group is primarily for technical =
discussion</FONT><FONT=20
face=3DArial size=3D2>.&nbsp; </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>By way of introduction, I live in =
Sendai, Japan=20
and&nbsp;cover&nbsp;console news for&nbsp;CoreMagazine </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>(<A=20
href=3D"http://www.coremagazine.com">http://www.coremagazine.com</A>),=20
a&nbsp;reasonably diverse&nbsp;console gaming site.&nbsp; </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I've been interested in&nbsp;open =
source OS for a=20
long time now, and I think the&nbsp;idea of porting</FONT><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
size=3D2>&nbsp;BSD to&nbsp;the Dreamcast&nbsp;is unbelievably =
cool</FONT><FONT=20
face=3DArial size=3D2>. So, </FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I would =
like=20
to&nbsp;</FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>research an&nbsp;article on =
this=20
project&nbsp;for CoreMagazine.&nbsp;&nbsp;The article would&nbsp;be=20
posted&nbsp;on the web site as=20
a&nbsp;feature&nbsp;story.&nbsp;&nbsp;</FONT><FONT face=3DArial=20
size=3D2>I</FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>f anyone </FONT><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
size=3D2>could give me some background info on the project's origins and =
where it=20
is heading,&nbsp;it would be greatly valued.&nbsp; I am particularly =
interested=20
in the below topics:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>1. History of the project:&nbsp; =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; a. How&nbsp;the =
project started=20
and when.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; b. People behind the =
project=20
(y'all!).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; c. Motivation: =
why&nbsp;(other=20
than the thrill of experimentation) did the project's =
initiator(s)&nbsp;want=20
to&nbsp;port NetBSD&nbsp;to</FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>&nbsp;=20
DC?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>2. Technical&nbsp;Overview</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Note: Although&nbsp;the article will be =
written for=20
a non-technical audience, I want to cover the technology behind the =
project as=20
thoroughly as possible.&nbsp; &nbsp;e.g.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;a. What are&nbsp;the =
pros and=20
cons of working with the DC hardware?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;b.&nbsp;Why NetBSD on =
the DC, as=20
opposed to another OS on another console?&nbsp;&nbsp;i.e. is there=20
something&nbsp;</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; =
about the=20
Dreamcast architecture that makes it suitable to NetBSD and vice=20
versa?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;c. What =
hardware/peripherals are=20
supported?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>&nbsp; </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>3. Software </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; a. What are =
some&nbsp;possible=20
uses for&nbsp;running&nbsp;NetBSD software on the =
Dreamcast?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>&nbsp;&nbsp;</FONT><FONT face=3DArial=20
size=3D2>&nbsp;</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>4. The Future</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; a.&nbsp; =
How&nbsp;will the=20
project progress from here?&nbsp; What are the short/long term goals for =
the=20
project?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; b. The X-box will =
ship with a=20
hard disk, and a PS2 hard disk will be out soon.&nbsp; Will we see =
NetBSD ports=20
that&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; take advantage of =
these systems'=20
mass storage?&nbsp; </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; c.&nbsp;If ports for =
other=20
hardware consoles (PS2, XBox, etc.) are created,&nbsp;in theory, could=20
this&nbsp;indie =
developers&nbsp;create&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; NetBSD</FONT><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
size=3D2>&nbsp;console games that run on any NetBSD supported =
system?&nbsp;&nbsp;=20
</FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Again, any information would be greatly =

appreciated.&nbsp; Of course, contributors would be credited in the =
article=20
(unless they wish to remain anonymous).&nbsp; </FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Cheers,</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Walter=20
Wyman<BR>---------------------<BR></FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><A=20
href=3D"mailto:walt@coremagazine.com">mailto:walt@coremagazine.com</A></F=
ONT></DIV></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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