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Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!msuinfo!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!spool.mu.edu!torn!nermal.cs.uoguelph.ca!herman.cs.uoguelph.ca!rmacklem From: rmacklem@uoguelph.ca (Rick Macklem) Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd Subject: Re: Porting 4.4-Lite to VAX Date: 11 May 1994 19:59:03 GMT Organization: University of Guelph Lines: 32 Message-ID: <2qrde7$9mh@nermal.cs.uoguelph.ca> References: <1994May11.190620.29816@dsi.bc.ca> NNTP-Posting-Host: herman.cs.uoguelph.ca X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2] Rob Ballantyne (rsb@dsi.bc.ca) wrote: [stuff deleted] : - What (and how much) exactly is missing from 4.4BSD that would have : to be constructed from scratch? There is no VAX architectural support in 4.4Lite, but I believe there is work being done on porting NetBSD to the VAX architecture. Also, my vague understanding is that both NetBSD and FreeBSD will be switching over to a 4.4BSD Lite code base, making it into an unencumbered bootable system. (Others out there in net land probably have a much better handle on what is going on than I. Maybe someone else can fill us in?) : - What (and how much) would have to be re-written for the VAX. Just a wild guess, but the VS3100 might use a lot of the same chips that the MIPS DECstations do (and which there are drivers for in 4.4BSD Lite). If this is the case, you should be able to make the pmax drivers work for the VS3100 pretty easily. (Anyone out there know what chips are used for SCSI, Ethernet, etc. on the VS3100?) : - How open is DEC about its hardware? Would I be able to find out the : low level stuff I need to? My experience is that they have not tried to keep it a secret, although sometimes the documents have never been published, which implies that you need some sort of non-disclosure agreement with DEC to get copies of them. (They are usually called Functional Specifications and it can be fun trying to find out what the part #(s) is/are:-) Good luck with it, rick