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   <p>
   <h2><font color="#e00000">OpenBSD/arc</font></h2>
   
 <h2>OpenBSD/arc</h2>  <hr>
   
   <p>
   OpenBSD/arc runs on the machines compatible with the <i>Advanced RISC
   Computing</i> specification, known as ARC machines, based on MIPS processors
   and initially designed to run Microsoft Windows NT.
   Such machines include the long dead Acer PICA, as well other machines
   manufactured by other companies such as MIPS, Deskstation, NEC, and Olivetti.
   </p>
   
   <p>
   The ARC specification is extinct, and no new ARC BIOS machines for MIPS will
   likely be manufactured.
   Microsoft has announced that it will no longer support MIPS after NT 4.0.
   OpenBSD/arc used to provide a good alternative to NT.
   </p>
   
   <p>
   <strong><font color="#e00000">The OpenBSD/arc port has been
   discontinued</font></strong> after the 2.3 release.
   </p>
   
   <p>
   There is currently no one working on bringing this port back to life.
   The source code is still available in the CVS Attic, and code can be found in
   NetBSD as well.
   If you are interested in reviving the arc port, make it work and contact
   <a href="mailto:pefo@openbsd.org">Per Fogelstr&ouml;m</a> and
   <a href="mailto:imp@openbsd.org">Warner Losh</a>.
   </p>
   
   <a href="#toc"></a>
   <h3><font color="#0000e0"><i>Table of contents</i></font></h3>
   <p>
   <ul>
     <li><a href="#history">Past history of the port</a>
     <li><a href="#hardware">Supported hardware list</a>
     <li><a href="#install">Getting and installing OpenBSD/arc</a>
   </ul>
   </p>
   
 <hr>  <hr>
 <h3><strong>History and Status:</strong></h3>  <a name="history"></a>
   <h3><font color="#0000e0"><strong>History:</strong></font></h3>
   
 <p>  <p>
 The early history is not very clear. Apparently the first work was  The early history of this port is not very clear. Apparently the first work was
 done by CMU as part of their Mach project.  The initial hardware was  done by CMU as part of their Mach project. The initial hardware was the DEC
 the DEC R2000/R3000-based DECstations.  This code was later used by  R2000/R3000-based DECstations. This code was later used by both the Sprite and
 both the Sprite and BSD groups.  The 4.4BSD code, known as the `pmax'  BSD groups. The 4.4BSD code, known as the <i><a href="pmax.html">pmax</a></i>
 port, was made freely available in mid '93.  It was merged into the  port, was made freely available in mid 1993. It was merged into the
 NetBSD tree by a variety of people, but has never been very stable,  NetBSD tree by a variety of people, but took several years to really become
 reliable, or complete.  Compiler toolkit problems have plagued the  stable and mature, mainly because of compiler toolchain problems.
 port because the standard a.out executable format is an imperfect  
 match to the MIPS architecture.  
 </p>  </p>
   
 <p>  <p>
 Per Fogelstr&ouml;m became familiar with the code after porting it to a  Per Fogelstr&ouml;m became familiar with the code after porting it to a
 home-built IDT R3081 based board.  Subsequently he added R4400 support  home-built IDT R3081 based board. Subsequently he added R4400 support
 when porting it to the MIPS R4400 Acer PICA board.  Willowglen  when porting it to the MIPS R4400 Acer PICA board. Willowglen
 Singapore purchased a second PICA board for Theo de Raadt so that he  Singapore purchased a second PICA board for Theo de Raadt so that he
 could improve the port for use as a development system for an internal  could improve the port for use as a development system for an internal
 project.  Since then Theo, Per and others have completed the port.  project. Since then Theo, Per and others have completed the port.
 </p>  </p>
   
 <p>  <p>
 The Acer PICA is a dead platform.  Acer no longer makes the machine,  As a result, the code has been modified to make it more versatile, and
 but even worse the machines are very rare.  But the Acer PICA was just  eventually support a larger range of ARC machines. Unfortunately the death
 one of a whole family of similar machines built by other companies  of this platform, as well as the lack of general availability of this hardware,
 like MIPS, Deskstation, NEC, Olivetti.  These machines were known as  eventually turned people away from working on this port. Eventually, it was
 ARC machines, built according to the  decided to stop supporting it and remove the code from the tree.
 <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/hwdev/download/respec/riscspec.zip">  
 Advanced RISC Computing</a> specification.  
 No new ARC BIOS machines for MIPS will likely be manufactured.  
 Microsoft has announced that it will no longer support MIPS after NT 4.0.  
 OpenBSD/arc provides a good alternative to NT, especially now that no more OS  
 updates for NT MIPS will happen.  Deskstation has ceased business operations,  
 so there will be no more ARC MIPS machines from them.  
 </p>  </p>
   
   
   <hr>
   <a name="hardware"></a>
   <h3><font color="#0000e0"><strong>Supported hardware:</strong></font></h3>
   
 <p>  <p>
 As a result, the code has been modified to make it more versatile, and  <h4>Supported models</h4>
 eventually it should support a larger whole range of ARC machines.  
 Hopefully a port will result that can run on the full range of MIPS  
 processors: R4000, R4xx, R43xx, R4400, R46x0, R4700, R5000,  
 R8000 and R10000.  
 </p>  </p>
   
 <p>  <p>
 <h3>Currently the port supports the following:</h3>  
 <ul>  <ul>
 <li>Acer Pica: 150MHz R4400PC, ISA, with onboard ethernet, scsi, video,    <li>Acer Pica (150MHz R4400PC, ISA, with on-board ethernet, scsi, video,
         and serial.</li>    and serial)
 <li><a href="http://www.deskstation.com">Deskstation</a>    <li>Deskstation Tyne (133MHz R4600, ISA and VLB)
         Tyne: 133MHz R4600, ISA and VLB.</li>    <li>Deskstation rPC44 (100MHz R4400PC, EISA bus)
 <li><a href="http://www.deskstation.com">Deskstation</a>    <li><a href="http://www.algor.co.uk">Algorithmics</a>
         rPC44: 100MHz R4400PC, EISA bus.</li>    R4000/R5000/R10000 evaluation boards
 <li><a href="http://www.algor.co.uk">Algorithmics</a> R4000/R5000/R10000 evaluation board</li>    <li><a href="http://www.algor.co.uk">Algorithmics</a>
 <li>NEC RiscStation works.</li>    P-4032 and P-5064 boards
     <li>NEC RiscStation
 </ul>  </ul>
 </p>  </p>
   
 <p>  <p>
 <h3>Supported devices include:</h3>  <h4>Supported peripherals</h4>
   </p>
   
   <p>
 <ul>  <ul>
 <li> graphics:</li>  <li><strong>Video</strong>
   <ul>    <ul>
   <li> built-in S3 VGA graphics adapter on PICA.</li>    <li>Built-in S3 VGA graphics adapter (PICA) (with X-Window support)
   <li> Standard VGA graphics adapter on rPC44 and Tyne.</li>    <li>Standard VGA graphics adapter (rPC44, Tyne)
   <li> Note that X11R6 currently supports only S3 boards.</li>  
   </ul>    </ul>
   <li><strong>Keyboard</strong>
 <li> keyboard:</li>  
   <ul>    <ul>
   <li> Standard PC compatible keyboard with optionally driver softloaded keymaps.</li>    <li>Standard PC compatible keyboard
   </ul>    </ul>
   <li><strong>Pointing device</strong>
 <li> mouse:</li>  
   <ul>    <ul>
   <li> PS2 mouse on PICA</li>    <li>PS2 mouse (PICA)
   <li> Serial mouse on /dev/tty00 on rPC44 and Tyne.</li>    <li>Serial mouse (rPC44, Tyne)
   </ul>    </ul>
   <li><strong>Serial ports</strong>
 <li> serial ports:</li>  
   <ul>    <ul>
   <li> on-board tty00 and tty01 (PICA. can not yet be used as console)</li>    <li>On-board serial ports (PICA) (can not be used as a serial console)
   <li> ISA tty00 and tty01 on systems without serial ports on the motherboard (Tyne).</li>    <li>ISA serial ports controllers
   <li> ISA tty02 and tty03 on all ISA capable systems.</li>  
   </ul>    </ul>
   <li><strong>Parallel ports</strong>
 <li> parallel ports:</li>  
   <ul>    <ul>
   <li> parallel ports is supported on-board (PICA) or on ISA (rPC44 and Tyne).</li>    <li>On-board parallel port (PICA)
     <li>ISA parallel ports controllers
   </ul>    </ul>
   <li><strong>Floppy drive</strong>
 <li> floppy:</li>  
   <ul>    <ul>
   <li> floppy is supported on PICA only.</li>    <li>ISA Floppy controller (PICA)
   </ul>    </ul>
   <li><strong>Ethernet</strong>
 <li> ethernet:</li>  
   <ul>    <ul>
   <li> on-board SONIC ethernet controller (PICA only)</li>    <li>on-board SONIC ethernet controller (PICA)
   <li> 3Com Etherlink boards (All ISA capable systems)</li>    <li>3Com Etherlink boards
   <li> NE2000 compatible ISA boards.</li>    <li>NE2000 compatible ISA boards
   </ul>    </ul>
   <li><strong>SCSI Controllers</strong>
 <li> SCSI:</li>  
   <ul>    <ul>
   <li> on-board NCR53C96 SCSI controller (PICA)</li>    <li>on-board NCR53C96 SCSI controller (PICA)
   <li> VLB "Buslogic BT-440C/445C" SCSI controller.</li>    <li>VLB Buslogic BT-440C/445C
   <li> ISA "Buslogic BT-545" SCSI controller on rPC44.</li>    <li>ISA Buslogic BT-545 SCSI controller (rPC44)
   </ul>    </ul>
   <li><strong>IDE Controllers</strong>
 <li> IDE:</li>  
   <ul>    <ul>
   <li> IDE disks via wd driver on ISA bus. Bootable only on Deskstation systems.</li>    <li>ISA Western-Digital compatible IDE controllers<br>
         <small>(bootable only on Deskstation systems)</small>
   </ul>    </ul>
   <li><strong>Miscellaneous devices</strong>
 <li> Misc:</li>  
   <ul>    <ul>
   <li> Joystick on ISA bus.</li>    <li>Joystick on ISA bus
     <li>PCI bus on Algorithmics P-4032 and P-5064 boards
   </ul>    </ul>
 </ul>  </ul>
 </p>  </p>
   
 <p>  
 <h3>The following ports are also being worked on:</h3>  
 <ul>  
 <li>Algorithmics P-4032 and P-5064 boards.</li>  
 </ul>  
 </p>  
   
 <p>  
 The people working the most on OpenBSD/arc currently consists of  
 Per Fogelstr&ouml;m, Theo de Raadt, Niklas Hallqvist, Warner Losh,  
 and a few others. Of course, others are very welcome!  
 </p>  
   
 <p>  
 <h3>Recent developments:</h3>  
 <ul>  
 <li>PCI bus support on Algorithmics P-4032 and P-5064 boards.</li>  
 <li>Support for <a href="http://www.qedinc.com">QED</a> RM52x0 processors. (R5000 derivates).</li>  
 <li>Kernel DDB functional.</li>  
 </ul>  
 </p>  
   
 <p>  
 The ARC port is complete, including everything you can expect  
 on any OpenBSD port.  
 </p>  
   
 <hr>  <hr>
 <p>  <a name="install"></a>
 <a href="ftp.html">Snapshots are made available from time to time.</a>  <h3><font color="#0000e0">
   <strong>Getting and installing OpenBSD/arc:</strong>
   </font></h3>
   
 <p>  <p>
 Send mail to <a href="mailto:imp@openbsd.org">Warner Losh</a> and  The last supported OpenBSD/arc release has been
 <a href="mailto:pefo@openbsd.org">Per Fogelstr&ouml;m</a>.  <a href="23.html">OpenBSD 2.3</a>.
   It is not available on ftp sites anymore, but it was available on CD.
 </p>  </p>
   
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