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clean up a bit...

This commit is contained in:
cgd 1995-02-21 09:52:58 +00:00
parent 22fafded22
commit 715c38c819
1 changed files with 47 additions and 37 deletions
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sys/arch/alpha/README
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@ -7,17 +7,17 @@ port is unique, because it's the first port of NetBSD to a 64-bit
architecture.
The Alpha port of NetBSD is a true 64-bit port: pointers and longs are 64
bits. This involved a _LOT_ of changes to "machine-independent" portions
of the system, and while most of the NetBSD/Alpha machine-specific sources
are in the NetBSD source tree, many of the change to machine-independent
files are not, yet.
bits. This involved a _LOT_ of changes to "machine-independent" kernel,
and to many of the user-land programs.
So, some details on the status of the port, and a list of supported hardware:
So, some details on the status of the port, a list of supported hardware:
The port is self-hosting; it is stable enough to build all of its
constituent binaries (including GCC and the rest of the tool chain)
many times over. It is in "production use" for its own development,
and will soon be in use by computer science researchers. It's _not_
simply a kernel hacker's toy at this point.
many times over. I've seen uptimes of more than a week, with
multiple compiles going 24 hours a day. It is in "production use"
for its own development, and will soon be in use by computer science
researchers. It's _not_ simply a kernel hacker's toy at this point.
Lots of things still don't work properly. In particular, a lot of
(poorly-written) user-land programs don't work. As far as I'm
@ -26,13 +26,15 @@ So, some details on the status of the port, a list of supported hardware:
Unfortunately, at this time, GDB isn't capable of actually debugging
programs (though it is good for disassembling them, if you know
where they crashed). It's worth noting that the internet protocol
suite works wonderfully (and, indeed, I do most of my work remotedly
logged in), and the SunRPC library also works. Because formatting
the manual pages would have required making g++ and groff work,
there are no formatted man pages included, and there's no easy way
to format them. If you need the manual pages, I'd suggest that you
look on another NetBSD system. If you absolutely can't do that, the
OSF/1 manual pages should be OK for most tasks.
suite works well (and, indeed, I do most of my work remotedly
logged in), and the SunRPC library also works. (Both required serious
modifications to make them work with 64 bit pointers and longs.)
Because formatting the manual pages would have required making g++
and groff work, there are no formatted man pages included and
there's no easy way to format them. If you need the manual pages,
I'd suggest that you look on another NetBSD system. If you
absolutely can't do that, OSF/1 manual pages should be OK for
most tasks.
There's rudimentary support for running OSF/1 binaries, which I
originally used when bootstrapping the system. However, it is only
@ -42,22 +44,25 @@ So, some details on the status of the port, a list of supported hardware:
work on this, please get in touch with me!) NetBSD/Alpha can safely
read and write OSF/1 (v2.0; I would guess v1.x and v3.x as well)
file systems (assuming you don't have OSF/1's security features
enabed). Additionally, the NetBSD/Alpha disklabel format is
enabled). Additionally, the NetBSD/Alpha disklabel format is
compatible with OSF/1's.
Supported hardware:
DEC 3000/[456789]00 -- I've only tested it on the 400 and
600, but the rest should "just work" -- supporting
the following peripherals:
DEC 3000/[456789]00 (I've only tested it on the 400 and
600, but the rest should "just work) using the following
peripherals:
Serial ports -- barely; the serial driver needs a
lot of help
LANCE ethernet -- but only the on-board model; I've
not tried any TurboChannel boards
SCSI system -- It recognizes and can use both
lot of help and is not useful for many
complex tasks.
LANCE ethernet -- only the on-board model; I've
not tried any TurboChannel boards, and
didn't write complete support for them into
the driver.
SCSI system -- it recognizes and can use both
on-board SCSI controller chips. However,
it has trouble working with both at the
same time
same time.
At this time neither the Smart Frame Buffer nor the
ISDN/Audio interface is supported.
@ -75,7 +80,11 @@ Obtaining NetBSD/Alpha sources and binaries:
This release is being made in two parts, source and binary. The
source distribution is a gzipped tar file containing all of the
sources used to build the system, including the compiler and
user-land sources. The binary distribution is a gzipped disk
user-land sources. (Most of the kernel and user-land changes
have made it back into the NetBSD source tree. Many have not,
however, and the compiler shipped with NetBSD doesn't work on
the Alpha; if you're using NetBSD on the Alpha, you _need_ my
source distribution.) The binary distribution is a gzipped disk
image from an rz25 disk; it's approximately 406M ungzipped
(63M gzipped), and you install it by dd'ing it on to a raw disk;
more on this later.
@ -88,7 +97,7 @@ Obtaining NetBSD/Alpha sources and binaries:
the people who are using them.
If you are interested in the NetBSD/Alpha port, I suggest that you
subscribe to the NetBSD "port-alpha" mailing list, by sending an
subscribe to the NetBSD "port-alpha" mailing list by sending an
email message to majordomo@netbsd.org with no subject and with a
body of "subscribe port-alpha" (without the quotes). For help on
using majordomo, send it mail with an empty subject and body.
@ -98,9 +107,9 @@ Installing the NetBSD/Alpha distribution:
[ Note that these instructions are minimal; it's assumed that if
you're going to be installing this, you're knowledgeable about
booting Alphas and doing other sysadmin-ish stuff, are willing
to look in the documentation, or are brave. If they're
really not good enough for you, get in touch with me and
I'll try to help you. ]
to look in your Alpha documentation, or are brave. If they're
really not good enough to get you running, get in touch with me
and I'll try to help you. ]
To install the NetBSD/Alpha distribution, you'll need a disk at
least the size of an RZ25 -- about 406Mb. Once you've gotten the
@ -129,8 +138,8 @@ Installing the NetBSD/Alpha distribution:
/etc/hosts
/etc/resolv.conf (if you want to use DNS)
/etc/myname (the hostname of the machine)
/etc/mygate (the LAN's gateway, if your network setup
requires that it be named explicitly)
/etc/mygate (the LAN's gateway's IP address, if your network
setup requires that it be named explicitly)
/etc/hostname.le0 (to describe the enet addr, etc., for the
Alpha's ethernet. The format can be discerned by
looking in /etc/netstart. As an example, for
@ -159,7 +168,7 @@ Using NetBSD/Alpha:
A fair number of binaries don't work properly. For example:
GDB won't properly run programs or debug core files; someone
needs to write support for NetBSD.
needs to write support for NetBSD/Alpha.
diff dumps core if there are differences in the files being
compared (but it _doesn't_ dump core if they're the
same!)
@ -186,20 +195,21 @@ Using NetBSD/Alpha:
out the door, I've not had much time to do performance analysis on
the kernel, nor tried to improve performance in any way. Some of
the code is awfully rough. That being said, on a lot of operations
I'm seeing performance similar to that of OSF/1 on the same hardware,
so I've not gone too far wrong anywhere.
I'm seeing performance comparable to that of OSF/1 on the same
hardware, so I've not gone too far wrong anywhere.
I've run 'paranoia' on NetBSD/Alpha, and it reports one defect (the
same result as for OSF/1).
Thanks to:
Carnegie Mellon University, for providing funding for this project.
Carnegie Mellon University, for funding for this project.
Keith Bostic, for writing and/or working on a large chunk of the
code, and for general moral corruption and good humor.
Kirk McKusick, for being the Final Arbiter of Taste and Style.
Jeff Mogul, for providing moral support, documentation, and
pointers thereto.
The various others working on NetBSD, for suggestions, sanity
checking, etc.
Various people working on NetBSD, for suggestions, sanity checking,
drivers, etc.
Whoever I'm forgetting, for things that I don't remember right now.