Annotation of www/vax.html, Revision 1.87
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15: <a href="index.html"><img alt="[OpenBSD]" height="30" width="141" src="images/smalltitle.gif" border="0"></a>
16: <p>
17: <h2><font color="#e00000">OpenBSD/vax</font></h2>
18:
19: <hr>
1.10 johns 20:
1.39 miod 21: <p>
22: <a href="images/vax.jpg">
23: <img src="images/vax.jpg" width="350" height="467" align="right" alt="[nothing sucks like a vax]">
24: </a>
25: OpenBSD/vax runs on a large set of the VAX computers manufactured by
26: <a href="http://www.digital.com">Digital</a> (then Compaq, now Hewlett-Packard).
27:
28: <p>
29: A mailing list dedicated to the OpenBSD/vax port is available at
30: <u><font color="#23238e">vax@openbsd.org</font></u>.
31: To join the OpenBSD/vax mailing list, send a message body of <b>"subscribe
32: vax"</b> to <a href="mailto:majordomo@openbsd.org">majordomo@openbsd.org</a>.
33: Please be sure to check our <a href="mail.html">mailing list policy</a> before
34: subscribing.
35:
1.68 nick 36: <a name="toc"></a>
1.39 miod 37: <h3><font color="#0000e0"><i>Table of contents</i></font></h3>
38: <p>
39: <ul>
1.41 jufi 40: <li><a href="#history">History of the port</a>
1.39 miod 41: <li><a href="#status">Current status</a>
42: <li><a href="#projects">Project list</a>
1.55 nick 43: <li><a href="#hardware">Supported hardware</a>
1.39 miod 44: <li><a href="#hwdocs">Documentation wanted</a>
45: <li><a href="#install">Getting and installing OpenBSD/vax</a>
46: </ul>
1.1 deraadt 47:
1.3 fn 48: <hr>
1.39 miod 49: <a name="history"></a>
50: <h3><font color="#0000e0"><strong>History:</strong></font></h3>
1.28 hugh 51:
1.12 ericj 52: <p>
1.32 hugh 53: VAX has been a supported OpenBSD architecture since early 2000, when code was
54: synchronized with NetBSD's port. Being the second architecture to run BSD Unix
55: (in 1979!), it seems appropriate that these venerable vaxen should still have
1.39 miod 56: a modern OS.
57:
58: <p>
59: The current codebase is mostly from Berkeley, with contributions of free
60: code from Digital, Mt Xinu, NetBSD, OpenBSD and others.
1.12 ericj 61:
62: <p>
1.53 jolan 63: After the port was synchronized with the NetBSD codebase, fixes and improvements
64: were made, such as support for 16 partitions per drive, support for more VAX
1.39 miod 65: models, improved emulation of unimplemented instructions, and so on.
1.28 hugh 66:
1.39 miod 67: <p>
68: Development is ongoing, and changes are shared among VAX hackers even to
69: this day. The result of this work is an operating system that is stable
70: and familiar to any OpenBSD user.
71:
72: <hr>
73: <a name="status"></a>
74: <h3><font color="#0000e0"><strong>Current status:</strong></font></h3>
75:
76: <p>
77: Currently, all the hardware listed in the
1.55 nick 78: <a href="#hardware">supported hardware</a> section below boots
1.39 miod 79: multi-user, and supports enough of the on-board devices to be generally
1.54 pedro 80: usable.
1.39 miod 81: Some models can only run diskless at the moment, though.
1.35 hugh 82:
83: <p>
1.65 miod 84: As of OpenBSD 4.0, most of the VAXstation frame buffers are
1.74 miod 85: supported.
1.64 miod 86:
87: <p>
88: Of course, regardless of frame buffer support, a complete set of X clients
89: and utilities is available, allowing OpenBSD/vax machines to behave as X11
90: font servers, or run X clients on remote display.
1.35 hugh 91:
1.39 miod 92: <p>
93: There a few problems still left in the OpenBSD/vax port, though:
1.35 hugh 94: <ul>
1.39 miod 95: <li>The current compiler sometimes has optimizer issues (i.e. gcc -O2
96: produces incorrect code, while -O1 or -O0 work). They are slowly being
97: worked on as we are aware of them. Most code should work nowadays.
98: <li>Addressing limits in the pmap module. This can cause the kernel to panic.
1.42 david 99: Some of these situations have been taken care of and fail gracefully,
1.39 miod 100: but there might be unfixed cases.
1.28 hugh 101: </ul>
1.39 miod 102:
103: <hr>
104: <a name="projects"></a>
105: <h3><font color="#0000e0"><strong>Projects (in no particular order):
106: </strong></font></h3>
1.28 hugh 107:
108: <p>
1.39 miod 109: <ul>
110: <li>MSCP support may still be rough
1.64 miod 111: <li>Write and improve more frame buffer drivers
1.85 miod 112: <li>Shared libraries
1.39 miod 113: <li>Support for any new systems we encounter
114: </ul>
1.28 hugh 115:
1.39 miod 116: <hr>
117: <a name="hardware"></a>
118: <h3><font color="#0000e0"><strong>Supported hardware:</strong></font></h3>
1.16 hugh 119:
120: <p>
1.39 miod 121: The list of supported hardware below is not meant to be exhaustive.
1.74 miod 122: Due to a limited inventory of systems available to developers,
123: not all hardware combinations have been tested.
1.39 miod 124:
125: <p>
126: As a result, OpenBSD/vax may actually run on your machine even if it's not
1.32 hugh 127: listed here, and we rely on your testing and feedback to keep this list up
1.39 miod 128: to date.
129: To help us improve the accuracy of this list, <b>PLEASE</b>
130: <a href="faq/faq4.html#SendDmesg">send your dmesg</a> after installation
131: to <a href="mailto:dmesg@openbsd.org">dmesg@openbsd.org</a>.
132:
133: <p>
134: <h4>Supported models</h4>
1.12 ericj 135:
1.13 ericj 136: <p>
1.39 miod 137: <ul>
1.64 miod 138: <li>VAXstation 2000
1.39 miod 139: <li>VAXstation 3100/{30,40} (<font color="#009900">SCSI</font>)
140: <li>VAXstation 3100/{38,48} (<font color="#009900">SCSI</font>)
141: <li>VAXstation 3100/76 (<font color="#009900">SCSI</font>)
1.74 miod 142: <li>VAXstation 35x0 and 38x0 (<font color="#009900">SCSI</font>)
1.39 miod 143: <li>VAXstation 4000/VLC (<font color="#009900">SCSI</font>)
144: <li>VAXstation 4000/60 (<font color="#009900">SCSI</font>)
145: <li>VAXstation 4000/90 (<font color="#009900">SCSI</font>)
1.64 miod 146: <li>VAXstation 4000/90A (<font color="#009900">SCSI</font>)
1.39 miod 147: <li>VAXstation 4000/96 (<font color="#009900">SCSI</font>)
1.64 miod 148: <li>MicroVAX 2000
1.39 miod 149: <li>MicroVAX 3100/{10,20}{,e} (<font color="#009900">SCSI</font>)
150: <li>MicroVAX 3100/{30,40} (<font color="#009900">SCSI</font>)
151: <li>MicroVAX 3100/80 (<font color="#009900">SCSI</font>)
1.51 miod 152: <li>MicroVAX 3100/85 (<font color="#009900">SCSI</font>)
1.39 miod 153: <li>MicroVAX 3100/90 (<font color="#009900">SCSI</font>)
1.64 miod 154: <li>MicroVAX 3100/95 (<font color="#009900">SCSI</font>)
155: <li>MicroVAX 3100/96 (<font color="#009900">SCSI</font>)
1.39 miod 156: <li>MicroVAX 3300
157: <li>VAX 4000 100 (<font color="#009900">SCSI</font>)
158: <li>VAX 4000 105 (<font color="#009900">SCSI</font>)
1.61 mickey 159: <li>VAX 4000 106 (<font color="#009900">SCSI</font>)
1.39 miod 160: <li>VAX 4000 200
161: <li>VAX 4000 300
162: <li>VAX 4000 {400,500,600}
163: <li>VAX 4000 {500A,700A}
1.65 miod 164: <li>VXT2000 and VXT2000+
1.59 kettenis 165: <li><a href="vax-simh.html">SIMH VAX</a>
1.39 miod 166: </ul>
167:
1.64 miod 168: <p>
169: <h4>QBUS devices</h4>
170:
171: <p>
172: <ul>
173: <li>KFQSA MSCP DSSI controller
174: (<a href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=uda&sektion=4&arch=vax">uda</a>)
175: <li>Emulex UC08 MSCP SCSI controller
176: (<a href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=uda&sektion=4&arch=vax">uda</a>)
177: <li>CXY08 DHV-11 emulating serial ports
178: (<a href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=dhu&sektion=4&arch=vax">dhu</a>)
179: <li>DELQA Ethernet
180: (<a href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=qe&sektion=4&arch=vax">qe</a>)
181: </ul>
182:
183: <p>
184: <h4>Ethernet controllers</h4>
185:
186: <p>
187: <ul>
188: <li>on-board MicroVAX or VAXstation LANCE Ethernet
189: (<a href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=le&sektion=4&arch=vax">le</a>)
190: <li>DEC SGEC
191: (<a href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=ze&sektion=4&arch=vax">ze</a>)
192: </ul>
193:
194: <p>
195: <h4>SCSI controllers</h4>
196:
197: <p>
198: <ul>
199: <li>NCR5380
200: (<a href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=asc&sektion=4&arch=vax">asc</a>)
201: on-board SCSI
202: <li>NCR53C9x
203: (<a href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=ncr&sektion=4&arch=vax">ncr</a>)
204: on-board SCSI
1.74 miod 205: <li>SII
206: (<a href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=sii&sektion=4&arch=vax">sii</a>)
207: on-board SCSI on VAXstation 35x0/38x0 I/O module
1.64 miod 208: </ul>
209: <p>
1.74 miod 210: Either one of the first two controllers are found onboard most 3100s and
211: VAXstation 4000s, as well as the VAX 4000 10x series.
1.64 miod 212:
213: <p>
214: <h4>Serial ports</h4>
215:
216: <p>
217: <ul>
218: <li>DZ*11 or compatible serial ports
219: (<a
220: href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=dz&sektion=4&arch=vax">dz</a>)
221: <li>SC26C94 serial ports on VXT2000
222: (<a href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=qsc&sektion=4&arch=vax">qsc</a>)
223: </ul>
224:
225: <p>
1.65 miod 226: <h4>Frame buffers</h4>
1.64 miod 227:
228: <p>
229: <ul>
230: <li>VAXstation 3100 on-board monochrome frame buffer
231: (<a href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=smg&sektion=4&arch=vax">smg</a>)
232: <li>VAXstation 3100/{30,38,40,48} color frame buffer option
233: (<a href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=gpx&sektion=4&arch=vax">gpx</a>)
1.70 miod 234: <li>VAXstation 3100/76 SPX frame buffer, also available as an option for
235: VAXstation 3100/{30,38,40,48}
1.72 miod 236: (<a href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=lcspx&sektion=4&arch=vax">lcspx</a>)
1.74 miod 237: <li>VAXstation 35x0/38x0 frame buffer
238: (<a href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=legss&sektion=4&arch=vax">legss</a>),
239: without the 16 planes option
1.64 miod 240: <li>VAXstation 4000/60 and 4000/VLC frame buffer
241: (<a href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=lcg&sektion=4&arch=vax">lcg</a>)
242: <li>VAXstation 4000/90 color frame buffer
243: (<a href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=lcspx&sektion=4&arch=vax">lcspx</a>)
244: <li>VXT2000 color frame buffer
245: (<a href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=lcspx&sektion=4&arch=vax">lcspx</a>)
246: </ul>
247:
248: <p>
1.74 miod 249: The VXT2000 monochrome frame buffer, the LEGSS 16 plane option and the
250: SPXg/SPXgt options for VAXstation 4000s are not supported yet.
1.64 miod 251:
252: <p>
1.65 miod 253: <h4>Input devices</h4>
1.64 miod 254:
255: <p>
256: <ul>
257: <li>LK201 and LK401 keyboards
258: (<a href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=lkkbd&sektion=4&arch=vax">lkkbd</a>)
259: <li>VSxxx mouse
260: (<a href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=lkms&sektion=4&arch=vax">lkms</a>)
261: </ul>
262:
1.3 fn 263: <hr>
1.40 miod 264: <a name="hwdocs"></a>
265: <h3><font color="#0000e0"><strong>Documentation wanted:</strong></font></h3>
266:
267: <p>
268: <ul>
1.64 miod 269: <li>Programming info for LCG, SPX, and SPXg/SPXgt framebuffers
1.40 miod 270: <li>Software references for SHAC DSSI
271: <li>Any edition VARM
272: </ul>
273:
274: <hr>
275: <a name="install"></a>
276: <h3><font color="#0000e0">
277: <strong>Getting and installing OpenBSD/vax:</strong>
278: </font></h3>
279:
280: <p>
281: The latest supported OpenBSD/vax release is
1.86 sthen 282: <a href="54.html">OpenBSD 5.4</a>.
1.40 miod 283: Here are the
1.86 sthen 284: <a href="http://ftp.OpenBSD.org/pub/OpenBSD/5.4/vax/INSTALL.vax">
285: OpenBSD/vax 5.4 installation instructions
1.40 miod 286: </a>.
287:
288: <p>
289: Snapshots are made available from time to time, in
1.84 sthen 290: <a href="http://ftp.OpenBSD.org/pub/OpenBSD/snapshots/vax">this location</a>
1.40 miod 291: as well as in a few
292: <a href="ftp.html">mirrors</a>.
293: Here are the
1.84 sthen 294: <a href="http://ftp.OpenBSD.org/pub/OpenBSD/snapshots/vax/INSTALL.vax">
1.40 miod 295: OpenBSD/vax snapshot installation instructions
296: </a> as well.
1.3 fn 297:
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