Subject: Re: How many pc532 still running ...
To: None <philnelson@attbi.com, port-pc532@netbsd.org>
From: Phil Budne <phil@ultimate.com>
List: port-pc532
Date: 12/17/2001 12:12:31
Phil Nelson asked;
>   a) Do you have a running pc532?  (If more than 1, how many?)
>      If yes, is it (are they) running NetBSD?

Mine runs NetBSD on occasion.

>   b) Would it cause you a big problem if NetBSD-1.5 was the last
>      NetBSD version that supported the pc532?

As the software continues to grow, I think it's reasonable that we get
off the bus at SOME point.  My system has only 8MB, and it's current
case might not accomodate taller SIMMs (even if ones can be found that
work).  I remember being dismayed (from the pc532 perpective) how much
larger 1.5 was, and I regard NetBSD as a conservative project when it
comes to feeping creaturism.  There will clearly some a point of
vanishing (or negative) returns.

>   c) Would you be willing to invest some time to bring the pc532
>      port up to -current and be ready for 1.6?

Yes.

>      (A full working cross compile system might make this a lot
>      easier and much less time to get things working.)

I agree!  I have a 900MHz Athlon which currently boots (among other
things) NetBSD, FreeBSD (most often), and various flavors of Linux.

>   d) Any other comments you would like to make?

Questions;

What is planned, in progress, or completed in 1.6, and would it be of
value to pc532 owners?

Can any toolchain (gcc) fixes be intgrated back at the source in a way
that keeps maintenance thereof reasonable?

When is the deadline for pc532/1.6 fixes?

P.S.
I still have a cache of Cabletron SCSI/Ethernet thingies.  Last
time I tried to distribute them, there were more askers than thingies,
and I couldn't make the tough decisions (one issue was whether one
should go the the "ports lab").

My preference would be to make them available first to people who are
doing work for the pc532 community, mankind as a whole, or at the very
least will use their pc532 with it!!