NetBSD/sys/arch/alpha/STATUS

$NetBSD: STATUS,v 1.2 1995/11/23 02:33:26 cgd Exp $

NetBSD/Alpha's Status


Supported hardware:

	DEC 3000/[456789]00 (I've only tested it on the 400 and
	600, but the rest should "just work) using the following
	peripherals:

		Built-in serial ports
		LANCE ethernet -- only the on-board interface.  (see below.)
		SCSI system -- it recognizes and can use both on-board SCSI
		    controller chips.  However, it has trouble working with
		    both at the same time.

		Things are aren't supported:
			No frame buffers of any type.
			Devices in TurboChannel option slots (see the
			    TODO.users file.)
			The ISDN/Audio chip.

	DEC 3000/300 family, with same hardware above.

	*** NOTE THAT I HAVE NOT TESTED NEW KERNELS THOROUGHLY ON
	    DEC 3000/[3-900] SYSTEMS!

	AlphaStation {200,250,400} systems using the following
	peripherals:

		On-board NRC 53c810 SCSI.
		On-board ns16550-based serial ports.
		DC21040-based ethernet (on-board or in an option
		    slot).
		DC21050-based PCI-PCI bridges (though other
		    types of PCI-PCI bridges should work).
		PCI VGA video boards.
		DEC ZLXp-E1 (DC21030-based, "TGA") video boards.
		Keyboard.

		Things that ARE NOT supported at this time:
			DEC ZLXp-E2 and ZLXp-E3 video boards.
			Mouse.
			Sound hardware (Windows Sound System).

	AlphaStation 600 systems, with the same supported hardware
	list as the AlphaStation {200,250,400} systems.  (NOTE THAT
	THAT MEANS THE AlphaStation 600's BUILT-IN SCSI CONTROLLERS
	DO NOT WORK.  You'll need to get a 53c810 board, or
	something.)

	AXPpci systems, with the same supported hardware list as
	the AlphaStation {200,250,400} systems.  (AXPpci support
	was written by Jeffrey Hsu.  Thanks, Jeff!)

At this time none of the following systems are supported:
	DECpc AXP systems (EISA-bus PC-like systems)
	Alpha "server" systems
	Multiprocessor Alpha systems

I was hoping to get a DECpc AXP port working "for free" based on
the PCI work, but the DECpc AXP is a very different (and, in my
opinion, very alien) piece of hardware.  If somebody wants to make
NetBSD/Alpha run on the DECpc AXP system, get in touch and I'll do
what I can to help you get started.


Console frame buffers & keyboard are supported only on the AlphaStation
and AXPpci families of machines.  On the TurboChannel-baesd machines,
NetBSD/Alpha _must_ be used with a serial console.  To configure various
Alpha systems to use a serial console, do the following depending on
the model:

	DEC 3000/[4-9]00's:
		Flip the appropriate switch on the back of the machine.
		(See your owner's manual for more details.)

	DEC 3000/300 family machines:
		Boot the machine with the keyboard/mouse connector
		unplugged.

	DECpc AXPs, AXPpcis, and AlphaStations:
		Get to the console prompt.  Set the variable
		"console" to be "serial", and "init" or power cycle
		the system.


See the file src/sys/arch/alpha/README to find out how to get the
latest sources and/or binaries.

Please see the file src/sys/arch/alpha/TODO.users for a list of things
that users can do to help NetBSD/Alpha improve.  If you're interested
in doing any of them, or porting to new hardware, get in touch and
I'll do what I can to help.


Chris Demetriou
cgd@netbsd.org