Re: PCI graphics cards on Sun hardware

[Erik Fair <fair%netbsd.org@localhost>]

Sun Microsystems originated OpenBoot firmware (IEEE 1275), and all add- 
in cards (Sbus, PCI, whatever) that need boot time intialization are  
expected to have FCode onboard that the system will run at POST/ 
initialization time.

Apple Computer adopted OpenBoot firmware for its PCI-based PowerMac  
(PowerPC CPUs) computers, and I believe they used it until switching  
to Intel x86 based machines, ergo, all PCI (and AGP) video cards made  
for PowerMac computers will have FCode on them to do the  
initialization of the GPU.

Alas, there are, shall we say, "implementation differences" (Apple  
didn't do as complete a job of implementing IEEE 1275 as they should  
have, particularly in the early machines - see the archives of port-macppc%netbsd.org@localhost 
 for that tale of woe), but it should, in principle, be possible to  
use a PCI graphics card intended for a PowerMacintosh in a Sun  
UltraSPARC with PCI and have "the right thing happen" at POST/ 
initialization time in the Sun.

Can anyone here speak from operational experience?

        Erik <fair%netbsd.org@localhost>