Annotation of www/vax.html, Revision 1.86
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5: <title>OpenBSD/vax</title>
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16: <a href="index.html"><img alt="[OpenBSD]" height="30" width="141" src="images/smalltitle.gif" border="0"></a>
17: <p>
18: <h2><font color="#e00000">OpenBSD/vax</font></h2>
19:
20: <hr>
1.10 johns 21:
1.39 miod 22: <p>
23: <a href="images/vax.jpg">
24: <img src="images/vax.jpg" width="350" height="467" align="right" alt="[nothing sucks like a vax]">
25: </a>
26: OpenBSD/vax runs on a large set of the VAX computers manufactured by
27: <a href="http://www.digital.com">Digital</a> (then Compaq, now Hewlett-Packard).
28:
29: <p>
30: A mailing list dedicated to the OpenBSD/vax port is available at
31: <u><font color="#23238e">vax@openbsd.org</font></u>.
32: To join the OpenBSD/vax mailing list, send a message body of <b>"subscribe
33: vax"</b> to <a href="mailto:majordomo@openbsd.org">majordomo@openbsd.org</a>.
34: Please be sure to check our <a href="mail.html">mailing list policy</a> before
35: subscribing.
36:
1.68 nick 37: <a name="toc"></a>
1.39 miod 38: <h3><font color="#0000e0"><i>Table of contents</i></font></h3>
39: <p>
40: <ul>
1.41 jufi 41: <li><a href="#history">History of the port</a>
1.39 miod 42: <li><a href="#status">Current status</a>
43: <li><a href="#projects">Project list</a>
1.55 nick 44: <li><a href="#hardware">Supported hardware</a>
1.39 miod 45: <li><a href="#hwdocs">Documentation wanted</a>
46: <li><a href="#install">Getting and installing OpenBSD/vax</a>
47: </ul>
1.1 deraadt 48:
1.3 fn 49: <hr>
1.39 miod 50: <a name="history"></a>
51: <h3><font color="#0000e0"><strong>History:</strong></font></h3>
1.28 hugh 52:
1.12 ericj 53: <p>
1.32 hugh 54: VAX has been a supported OpenBSD architecture since early 2000, when code was
55: synchronized with NetBSD's port. Being the second architecture to run BSD Unix
56: (in 1979!), it seems appropriate that these venerable vaxen should still have
1.39 miod 57: a modern OS.
58:
59: <p>
60: The current codebase is mostly from Berkeley, with contributions of free
61: code from Digital, Mt Xinu, NetBSD, OpenBSD and others.
1.12 ericj 62:
63: <p>
1.53 jolan 64: After the port was synchronized with the NetBSD codebase, fixes and improvements
65: were made, such as support for 16 partitions per drive, support for more VAX
1.39 miod 66: models, improved emulation of unimplemented instructions, and so on.
1.28 hugh 67:
1.39 miod 68: <p>
69: Development is ongoing, and changes are shared among VAX hackers even to
70: this day. The result of this work is an operating system that is stable
71: and familiar to any OpenBSD user.
72:
73: <hr>
74: <a name="status"></a>
75: <h3><font color="#0000e0"><strong>Current status:</strong></font></h3>
76:
77: <p>
78: Currently, all the hardware listed in the
1.55 nick 79: <a href="#hardware">supported hardware</a> section below boots
1.39 miod 80: multi-user, and supports enough of the on-board devices to be generally
1.54 pedro 81: usable.
1.39 miod 82: Some models can only run diskless at the moment, though.
1.35 hugh 83:
84: <p>
1.65 miod 85: As of OpenBSD 4.0, most of the VAXstation frame buffers are
1.74 miod 86: supported.
1.64 miod 87:
88: <p>
89: Of course, regardless of frame buffer support, a complete set of X clients
90: and utilities is available, allowing OpenBSD/vax machines to behave as X11
91: font servers, or run X clients on remote display.
1.35 hugh 92:
1.39 miod 93: <p>
94: There a few problems still left in the OpenBSD/vax port, though:
1.35 hugh 95: <ul>
1.39 miod 96: <li>The current compiler sometimes has optimizer issues (i.e. gcc -O2
97: produces incorrect code, while -O1 or -O0 work). They are slowly being
98: worked on as we are aware of them. Most code should work nowadays.
99: <li>Addressing limits in the pmap module. This can cause the kernel to panic.
1.42 david 100: Some of these situations have been taken care of and fail gracefully,
1.39 miod 101: but there might be unfixed cases.
1.28 hugh 102: </ul>
1.39 miod 103:
104: <hr>
105: <a name="projects"></a>
106: <h3><font color="#0000e0"><strong>Projects (in no particular order):
107: </strong></font></h3>
1.28 hugh 108:
109: <p>
1.39 miod 110: <ul>
111: <li>MSCP support may still be rough
1.64 miod 112: <li>Write and improve more frame buffer drivers
1.85 miod 113: <li>Shared libraries
1.39 miod 114: <li>Support for any new systems we encounter
115: </ul>
1.28 hugh 116:
1.39 miod 117: <hr>
118: <a name="hardware"></a>
119: <h3><font color="#0000e0"><strong>Supported hardware:</strong></font></h3>
1.16 hugh 120:
121: <p>
1.39 miod 122: The list of supported hardware below is not meant to be exhaustive.
1.74 miod 123: Due to a limited inventory of systems available to developers,
124: not all hardware combinations have been tested.
1.39 miod 125:
126: <p>
127: As a result, OpenBSD/vax may actually run on your machine even if it's not
1.32 hugh 128: listed here, and we rely on your testing and feedback to keep this list up
1.39 miod 129: to date.
130: To help us improve the accuracy of this list, <b>PLEASE</b>
131: <a href="faq/faq4.html#SendDmesg">send your dmesg</a> after installation
132: to <a href="mailto:dmesg@openbsd.org">dmesg@openbsd.org</a>.
133:
134: <p>
135: <h4>Supported models</h4>
1.12 ericj 136:
1.13 ericj 137: <p>
1.39 miod 138: <ul>
1.64 miod 139: <li>VAXstation 2000
1.39 miod 140: <li>VAXstation 3100/{30,40} (<font color="#009900">SCSI</font>)
141: <li>VAXstation 3100/{38,48} (<font color="#009900">SCSI</font>)
142: <li>VAXstation 3100/76 (<font color="#009900">SCSI</font>)
1.74 miod 143: <li>VAXstation 35x0 and 38x0 (<font color="#009900">SCSI</font>)
1.39 miod 144: <li>VAXstation 4000/VLC (<font color="#009900">SCSI</font>)
145: <li>VAXstation 4000/60 (<font color="#009900">SCSI</font>)
146: <li>VAXstation 4000/90 (<font color="#009900">SCSI</font>)
1.64 miod 147: <li>VAXstation 4000/90A (<font color="#009900">SCSI</font>)
1.39 miod 148: <li>VAXstation 4000/96 (<font color="#009900">SCSI</font>)
1.64 miod 149: <li>MicroVAX 2000
1.39 miod 150: <li>MicroVAX 3100/{10,20}{,e} (<font color="#009900">SCSI</font>)
151: <li>MicroVAX 3100/{30,40} (<font color="#009900">SCSI</font>)
152: <li>MicroVAX 3100/80 (<font color="#009900">SCSI</font>)
1.51 miod 153: <li>MicroVAX 3100/85 (<font color="#009900">SCSI</font>)
1.39 miod 154: <li>MicroVAX 3100/90 (<font color="#009900">SCSI</font>)
1.64 miod 155: <li>MicroVAX 3100/95 (<font color="#009900">SCSI</font>)
156: <li>MicroVAX 3100/96 (<font color="#009900">SCSI</font>)
1.39 miod 157: <li>MicroVAX 3300
158: <li>VAX 4000 100 (<font color="#009900">SCSI</font>)
159: <li>VAX 4000 105 (<font color="#009900">SCSI</font>)
1.61 mickey 160: <li>VAX 4000 106 (<font color="#009900">SCSI</font>)
1.39 miod 161: <li>VAX 4000 200
162: <li>VAX 4000 300
163: <li>VAX 4000 {400,500,600}
164: <li>VAX 4000 {500A,700A}
1.65 miod 165: <li>VXT2000 and VXT2000+
1.59 kettenis 166: <li><a href="vax-simh.html">SIMH VAX</a>
1.39 miod 167: </ul>
168:
1.64 miod 169: <p>
170: <h4>QBUS devices</h4>
171:
172: <p>
173: <ul>
174: <li>KFQSA MSCP DSSI controller
175: (<a href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=uda&sektion=4&arch=vax">uda</a>)
176: <li>Emulex UC08 MSCP SCSI controller
177: (<a href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=uda&sektion=4&arch=vax">uda</a>)
178: <li>CXY08 DHV-11 emulating serial ports
179: (<a href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=dhu&sektion=4&arch=vax">dhu</a>)
180: <li>DELQA Ethernet
181: (<a href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=qe&sektion=4&arch=vax">qe</a>)
182: </ul>
183:
184: <p>
185: <h4>Ethernet controllers</h4>
186:
187: <p>
188: <ul>
189: <li>on-board MicroVAX or VAXstation LANCE Ethernet
190: (<a href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=le&sektion=4&arch=vax">le</a>)
191: <li>DEC SGEC
192: (<a href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=ze&sektion=4&arch=vax">ze</a>)
193: </ul>
194:
195: <p>
196: <h4>SCSI controllers</h4>
197:
198: <p>
199: <ul>
200: <li>NCR5380
201: (<a href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=asc&sektion=4&arch=vax">asc</a>)
202: on-board SCSI
203: <li>NCR53C9x
204: (<a href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=ncr&sektion=4&arch=vax">ncr</a>)
205: on-board SCSI
1.74 miod 206: <li>SII
207: (<a href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=sii&sektion=4&arch=vax">sii</a>)
208: on-board SCSI on VAXstation 35x0/38x0 I/O module
1.64 miod 209: </ul>
210: <p>
1.74 miod 211: Either one of the first two controllers are found onboard most 3100s and
212: VAXstation 4000s, as well as the VAX 4000 10x series.
1.64 miod 213:
214: <p>
215: <h4>Serial ports</h4>
216:
217: <p>
218: <ul>
219: <li>DZ*11 or compatible serial ports
220: (<a
221: href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=dz&sektion=4&arch=vax">dz</a>)
222: <li>SC26C94 serial ports on VXT2000
223: (<a href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=qsc&sektion=4&arch=vax">qsc</a>)
224: </ul>
225:
226: <p>
1.65 miod 227: <h4>Frame buffers</h4>
1.64 miod 228:
229: <p>
230: <ul>
231: <li>VAXstation 3100 on-board monochrome frame buffer
232: (<a href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=smg&sektion=4&arch=vax">smg</a>)
233: <li>VAXstation 3100/{30,38,40,48} color frame buffer option
234: (<a href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=gpx&sektion=4&arch=vax">gpx</a>)
1.70 miod 235: <li>VAXstation 3100/76 SPX frame buffer, also available as an option for
236: VAXstation 3100/{30,38,40,48}
1.72 miod 237: (<a href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=lcspx&sektion=4&arch=vax">lcspx</a>)
1.74 miod 238: <li>VAXstation 35x0/38x0 frame buffer
239: (<a href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=legss&sektion=4&arch=vax">legss</a>),
240: without the 16 planes option
1.64 miod 241: <li>VAXstation 4000/60 and 4000/VLC frame buffer
242: (<a href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=lcg&sektion=4&arch=vax">lcg</a>)
243: <li>VAXstation 4000/90 color frame buffer
244: (<a href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=lcspx&sektion=4&arch=vax">lcspx</a>)
245: <li>VXT2000 color frame buffer
246: (<a href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=lcspx&sektion=4&arch=vax">lcspx</a>)
247: </ul>
248:
249: <p>
1.74 miod 250: The VXT2000 monochrome frame buffer, the LEGSS 16 plane option and the
251: SPXg/SPXgt options for VAXstation 4000s are not supported yet.
1.64 miod 252:
253: <p>
1.65 miod 254: <h4>Input devices</h4>
1.64 miod 255:
256: <p>
257: <ul>
258: <li>LK201 and LK401 keyboards
259: (<a href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=lkkbd&sektion=4&arch=vax">lkkbd</a>)
260: <li>VSxxx mouse
261: (<a href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=lkms&sektion=4&arch=vax">lkms</a>)
262: </ul>
263:
1.3 fn 264: <hr>
1.40 miod 265: <a name="hwdocs"></a>
266: <h3><font color="#0000e0"><strong>Documentation wanted:</strong></font></h3>
267:
268: <p>
269: <ul>
1.64 miod 270: <li>Programming info for LCG, SPX, and SPXg/SPXgt framebuffers
1.40 miod 271: <li>Software references for SHAC DSSI
272: <li>Any edition VARM
273: </ul>
274:
275: <hr>
276: <a name="install"></a>
277: <h3><font color="#0000e0">
278: <strong>Getting and installing OpenBSD/vax:</strong>
279: </font></h3>
280:
281: <p>
282: The latest supported OpenBSD/vax release is
1.86 ! sthen 283: <a href="54.html">OpenBSD 5.4</a>.
1.40 miod 284: Here are the
1.86 ! sthen 285: <a href="http://ftp.OpenBSD.org/pub/OpenBSD/5.4/vax/INSTALL.vax">
! 286: OpenBSD/vax 5.4 installation instructions
1.40 miod 287: </a>.
288:
289: <p>
290: Snapshots are made available from time to time, in
1.84 sthen 291: <a href="http://ftp.OpenBSD.org/pub/OpenBSD/snapshots/vax">this location</a>
1.40 miod 292: as well as in a few
293: <a href="ftp.html">mirrors</a>.
294: Here are the
1.84 sthen 295: <a href="http://ftp.OpenBSD.org/pub/OpenBSD/snapshots/vax/INSTALL.vax">
1.40 miod 296: OpenBSD/vax snapshot installation instructions
297: </a> as well.
298:
299: <hr>
1.39 miod 300: <a href="plat.html">
301: <img height="24" width="24" src="back.gif" border="0" alt="Supported platforms">
302: </a>
303: <br>
304: <small><a href="mailto:www@openbsd.org">www@openbsd.org</a></small>
1.3 fn 305: <br>
1.86 ! sthen 306: <small>$OpenBSD: vax.html,v 1.85 2013/07/05 22:09:53 miod Exp $</small>
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