Subject: Re: HyperSparc support is under construction -- how can I help
To: Geoff Adams <gadams@avernus.com>
From: Erik E. Fair <fair@clock.org>
List: port-sparc
Date: 12/23/1998 12:35:08
A few months ago, I had an SS10 with a pair of 90 MHz HS CPUs in it at my
disposal, and our esteemed portmaster pk and I tried to push HS CPU support
along (me in "tester" role, alas, so I really can't help you other than to
offer encouragement). IIRC, we got as far as getting the single-user shell
prompt, but *any* attempt to run programs caused them to die oddly; the CPU
cache/trap handling is still not quite right.

I would certainly like to see this work, and it'd be great to get it in
before NetBSD 1.4 (spring?). PK is on vacation for two weeks - he announced
that here a few days ago, so you'll have to wait for any response from him
until the new year.

Please feel free to tinker with it yourself, of course! You could try
turning off the caches, for example; performance would suck, but the old
rule has always been "make it work, then make it work fast."

	Merry Christmas,

	Erik <fair@clock.org>