[BACK]Return to sparc.html CVS log [TXT][DIR] Up to [local] / www
File: [local] / www / sparc.html (download) (as text)

Revision 1.14, Wed Jan 29 01:54:37 1997 UTC (27 years, 4 months ago) by deraadt
Branch: MAIN
Changes since 1.13: +5 -6 lines 

whoops

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC  "-//IETF//DTD HTML Strict//EN">
<html>
<head>
<title>OpenBSD/sparc</title>
<link rev=made href=mailto:www@openbsd.org>
<meta name="resource-type" content="document">
<meta name="description" content="the OpenBSD/sparc page">
<meta name="keywords" content="openbsd,sparc">
<meta name="distribution" content="global">
<meta name="copyright" content="This document copyright 1996 by OpenBSD, Inc.">
</head>

<body>

<h2>OpenBSD/sparc</h2>

<hr>
<h3><strong>History and Status:</strong></h3>

<p>
The original BSD4.4 port was done by Chris Torek as a contract to
LBL. The code was released by Chris in mid-93, and Theo de Raadt
worked it into shape for the NetBSD tree.  Theo and Markus Wild worked
on improving Chris' original SunOS compatibility code into a highly
complete and reliable emulation. Chuck Cranor ported the sun4c code to
the 8KB pagesized Sun4 architecture, and Theo merged this code in a
way that would allow the same kernel and programs to run on either
sun4c or sun4 machines (unlike Sun's seperate kernel environments).
This last change also required a rewrite of the device configuration
code.  Just after the NetBSD/sparc 1.0 release, Peter Galbavy wrote an
ESP scsi device driver as a replacement for Chris' sparc-specific scsi
code, this new driver unfortunately had some problems.
</p>

<p>
At this point a conflict emerged between Theo and the other people he
started the NetBSD project with, and Theo was forced by the core group
to resign from NetBSD.  After Theo left NetBSD, a few people in the
NetBSD group did some other things for the port: Paul Kranenburg
ported a floppy driver and started writing support for the 4/400.
Chuck spent many long hours working on the ie, xy, xd device drivers.
</p>

<p>
Theo continued working independently, and made a number of additions:
P4 support, flexible boot strategy, a few graphics drivers with help
from John Stone, and masses of bug fixes.  Many people will be most
interested that the ESP scsi driver has been completely replaced by
Theo, and that it supports disconnect/reconnect.
</p>

<p>
Work on porting OpenBSD/sparc to the sun4m platform was started by Theo,
but tendonitis problems with his wrists and the problems with the NetBSD
core conspired, and he stopped work.  Theo passed his initial sun4m work 
to Aaron Brown of Harvard, who was paid out of Margo Seltzer's research
funds.  This initial stuff consisted mostly of a few attempts at building
pmap structure that could support all 3 MMU types efficiently.  Also,
David Miller of the Sparclinux project got a little bit involved.
</p>

<p>
Recently Theo and Jason Downs began merging the NetBSD sparc code back into
OpenBSD.  OpenBSD/sparc is becoming usable again.  There are still a few
OpenBSD/sparc features from older source trees that need to be re-integrated;
these will likely surface soon.
</p>

<p>
OpenBSD/sparc can be correctly described as NetBSD/sparc + improvements.
</p>

<p>
The people working the most on OpenBSD/sparc currently consists of
Theo de Raadt, Jason Downs, and probably Chuck Cranor again now that it
once again works.
</p>

<p>
An important note about OpenBSD/sparc is that it is designed so that
a single kernel can run on *ALL* sparc machines.  Whereas SunOS and
Solaris have always had `kernel architectures', ie. sun4, sun4c, and
sun4m, the same `GENERIC' OpenBSD kernel will run on all the models. 
</p>

<hr>
<p>
<a href=ftp.html>Snapshots are made available from time to time.</a>

<hr>
<h3><strong>What hardware is supported?</strong></h3>

<h4>OpenBSD/sparc runs on the following classes of machines:</h4>
<ul>
<li> sun4c: the SS1, SS1+, IPC, SLC, SS2, IPX, and ELC
<li> sun4: the 4/100, 4/200, and 4/300
<li> sun4m machines: at least the LC, LX, 4, 5, 10, and 20. A few cpu
	combinations do not work reliably.
<li> Typically it works on clones of these machines
</ul>

<h4>Supported devices.  This list of basically declares that any `stock' sun4c
"sparcstation" machine will probably work; for sun4 machines one must be more
careful.</h4>
<ul>
<li> sun4c sbus or on-board cgsix, cgthree, and bwtwo
<li> 4/200 on-board bwtwo
<li> 4/300 and 4/100 P4 video: bwtwo, cgthree, cgsix. As well, P4 cgeight may work
<li> sun4 VME cgtwo, cgthree, cgsix
<li> P4 on-board bwtwo, and VME cgtwo card<br>
<li> ttya and ttyb serial ports (can be used as console if needed)
<li> 4/300 ttyc and ttyc serial ports
<li> on-board AMD Lance ethernet
<li> sbus AMD Lance ethernet cards 
<li> on-board Intel 82586 ethernet (ie0 on 4/100 and 4/200)
<li> VME Intel 82586 ethernet cards
<li> on-board "esp" SCSI controller (sun4c, sun4m, and 4/300)
<li> sbus "esp" SCSI controller
<li> VME "SUN-3"/"si" SCSI controller (polled mode only, slow)
<li> 4/110 "SCSI Weird"/"sw" on-board controller (slow, polled mode)
<li> Xylogics 7053 VME/SMD disk controller ("xd")
<li> Xylogics 450/451 VME disk controller ("xy")
<li> sun4c floppy disk drive
<li> sun4c audio
<li> sun keyboard and mouse
</ul>

<h4>OpenBSD/sparc does *not* run on these machines (yet):</h4>
<ul>
<li> 4/400 (lacks support for the I/O cache, and has ethernet problems)
<li> the VME sun4m model --4/600
<li> sun4d: sparc center 1000/2000
<li> the new Ultra sparc-64 machines...
<li> It does not work on most Solbourne machines, which are quite different.
</ul>

<h4>Unsupported Devices. First of all, there are MANY unsupported devices.
A comprehensive list can probably not be written.</h4>
<ul>
<li> VME mti 16-port serial card
<li> VME alm2 16-port serial card
<li> VME mcp 4-port serial card (or is it 8 port)
<li> VME "sc" SCSI controller
<li> VME IPI controller
<li> VME cgfive
<li> VME cgnine
<li> VME GP/GP2 Graphics Processor
<li> sbus cgeight 24-bit video card (note: sbus cgeight is quite different from
    VME cgeight)
</ul>

<hr>
<a href=plat.html><img src=back.gif border=0 alt=OpenBSD></a> 
<a href=mailto:www@openbsd.org>www@openbsd.org</a>
<br>
<small>$OpenBSD: sparc.html,v 1.14 1997/01/29 01:54:37 deraadt Exp $</small>

</body>
</html>