David Mazieres writes:
> 
> > Geeze, they couldn't get bounce-buffer support so they went to Linux..
> 
> It sounds like just a little detail, but just about every single PC
> I've run accross that was bought before 1995 had an Adaptek 1542
> controller.  Partial 1542 support is a real turn-off.
> 
> > I guess FreeBSD needs more press, eh? :-)
> 
> Well, I myself have been seriously, seriously tempted to switch to
> FreeBSD.  The prospect of 32Megs of RAM and a working mmap (with
> unified buffer cache) lead me to install FreeBSD on my second hard
> drive where it's still sitting...
> 

I have been running Linux-1.2.8, FreeBSD-2.1 and NetBSD-1.1 and
NetBSD was as ever winning my support :-)

> Note, however, that the FreeBSD install procedure really frustrated
> me.  It's beautifully colorful, but very ambiguous and wouldn't give
> me a root shell.  I couldn't even get it to untar from my DAT tape, so
> finally I had to untar the tape under NetBSD, reboot FreeBSD, and
> finish the job.  NetBSD wins big for having the least ambiguous
> install procedure of any operating system I've ever seen.  Period.
> They even include more on the boot floppy so you can read the scripts!
> If you know what you're doing, you know what the NetBSD installation
> procedure is doing.
> 

This is not the case. There is a virtual console available during
install using ALT F4 (I think). I learned by experience to use it
as I had similar problems during installation. I agree that the
user interface looks good but the functionallity is very ambigous.
Also the online help files aren't a great help either....

> In general, I guess people don't really take a single-platform OS's
> seriously.  For a while Linux people were claiming Linux would be
> ported to the 68K someday, and then last summer there were rumors that
> Linus himself was doing an alpha port.  [These could quite well be
> true, its just that the last time I looked at Linux source code there
> was a lot of PC-specific stuff (the VM code looked a lot like a 386,
> for instance).]

I have been running NetBSD on the Amiga4000 and 486DX2-66 (yes, using
the 1542 SCSI-card). Currently I am running an AXPpci33+ using BLADE_0.3
a Linux-Alpha port ;-). So, there you are - Linux runs on Alpha-Platforms.
Have a look at ftp.digital.com:/pub/DEC/Linux-Alpha/

> 
> I must say, I used to dislike the idea of running a single-platform
> OS.  Now, however, the PC architecture is becoming increasingly
> important, to the point where, for instance, I think the research
> group I'm in is going to end up with nothing but PC's.  Maybe FreeBSD
> made the right decision to go all out on the PC.  [However, it
> certaintly would be nice to have the same OS on our Suns and PC's
> during a transition.  Of the 4 operating systems, it seems as though
> OpenBSD might be the first to work on a sun4m machine...]
> 
> David
> 

As for what I am concerned, I am using BLADE_0.3 to boot-strap NetBSD to
run on the Alpha. At present the NetBSD platform which runs on more then a
dozent different hardware architectures. 

You may also consider that NetBSD, like any other platform, is under 
continued development which would only make it better then what it already
is :-). So don't get discouraged!!!!!

Just my 2p worth of commment.

cheerio Berndt
-- 
E-Mail	: wulf@hal9000.apana.org.au
Phone	: ++61 411 245170
Sysinfo	: Amiga4000/40-25, 16Mb, NetBSD-current