Didn't I catch a blurb that said VPC would emulate MMX stuff, and that MMX
disables the FPU?  I might be wrong here, so don't take this message _too_
seriously...

On Wed, 11 Jun 1997, Greg Earle wrote:

> Thought this might amuse some folks ...
> 
> Connectix (think QuickCams, think RAM Doubler, Speed Doubler etc.) is
> coming out with a "Virtual PC emulator" that's supposed to emulate an
> entire (BIOS and all) Pentium PC in software on a PowerMac running MacOS.
> 
> I got my hands on a beta copy (1.0beta6) and decided to have fun by feeding
> it the NetBSD/i386 1.2 install floppies ... (this was on a PowerMac 8600/200)
> 
> Booting fd(0,a)/netbsd @ 0x100000
> [...]
> NetBSD 1.2 (INSTADP) #0: Sat Dec 28 17:24:14 PST 1996
>     root@scipio.jpl.nasa.gov:/usr/src/sys/arch/i386/compile/INSTADP
> CPU: Pentium (ConnectixCPU 586-class CPU)
> real mem = 38404096
> avail mem = 34676736
> using 494 buffers containing 2023424 bytes of memory
> mainbus0 (root)
> isa0 at mainbus0
> com0 at isa0 port 0x3f8-0x3ff irq 4: ns16550a, working fifo
> com1 at isa0 port 0x2f8-0x2ff irq 3: ns16550a, working fifo
> lpt0 at isa0 port 0x378-0x37f irq 7
> wdc0 at isa0 port 0x1f0-0x1f7 irq 14
> wd0 at wdc0 drive 0 212 Mb, 879 cyl, 16 head, 31 sec, 512 bytes/sec <CntxCorpHD>
> wd0: using 16-sector 16-bit pio transfers, lba addressing
> 	[ ... notable pregnant pause here ... ]
> npx0 at isa0 port 0xf0-0xff: error reporting broken, not using
> pcprobe: reset error 3
> pc0 at isa0 port 0x60-0x6f irq 1: color
> fdc0 at isa0 port 0x3f0-0x3f7 irq 6 drq 2
> fd0 at fdc0 drive 0: 1.44 MB 80 cyl, 2 head, 18 sec
> fd1 at fdc0 drive 1: density unknown
> pci0 at mainbus0 bus 0: configuration mode 2
> biomask 4040 netmask 4040 ttymask 40da
> changing root device to fd0a
> 
> Unfortunately, at this point it proceeds to eject the INST-12.FS floppy disk
> and RESETS!   Argggh!  No "init", no shell, no nothing.  Oh well.  What
> exactly happens at this point ("changing root device to fd0a") that might
> cause this?  I tacitly assumed re-mounting "/" and firing up "init" happened
> here ...
> 
> As for the obvious errors:
> 
> 	npx0 at isa0 port 0xf0-0xff: error reporting broken, not using
> 	pcprobe: reset error 3
> 
> I suppose it would make sense that it wouldn't emulate having any kind of
> math coprocessor.  But I'm not sure why enabling key scanning wouldn't work,
> causing the "pcprobe: reset error 3" message.
> 
> (The 4-disk Plan 9 i386 distribution also goes down in flames, right off the
>  bat.  So much for Connectix's claims to run "any" OS, UNIX included.)
> 
> Anyway, just thought some of you might be amused.  It apparently can run DOS,
> Windows 3.1, Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0 without much trouble at this stage.
> 
> 	- Greg
> 
> 

--
"The fundamental difference between Unix and the Macintosh operating
system is that Unix was designed to please programmers, whereas the Mac
was designed to please users. (Windows, on the other hand, was designed to
please accountants, but that's another story.)"
            
                                            --The UNIX-HATERS Handbook