Re: (offtopic and quite possibly silly) BeBox architecture, next generation

[Craig Turner <optician%rebel.net.au@localhost>]

> Sorry to be a parade-rainer, but..

I think I was sending out the email more to find a list of reasons that it
couldn't be done rather than expecting it to be possible, so please don't
apologise ;)

> In order to be a "BeBox", it'd have to run BeOS.

Well this is dwelling into words, but I'd still call a BeBox running
NetBSD a BeBox.

>  If it doesn't use 
> chipsets that BeOS expects to find (i.e., compatible with supported 
> BeBoxen or PowerMac's), then don't expect Be to spend engineering time 
> getting BeOS to work with it.

Absolutely, I wasn't trying to imply in the email that Be would do
anything other than be friendly with the documentation available for the
architecture (board designs, etc.)

> If it doesn't run BeOS, then it's just a generic PPC box, perhaps akin 
> to IBM's stillborn POP design.

No, because there are edfinable architecture features that are unique
enough for the bebox to be a platform in its own right. Like the bridge
between Buses or whatever it was.. :)

> I don't how 
> well SMP is supported in NetBSD-BeBox (or any BSD, for that matter).

Not at all under NetBSD, I don't think OpenBSD does either. Linux has it
OK - I disagree that Linux doesn't have SMP. FreeBSD has it and its buggy
as hell, but there's some sort of crack squad of engineers currently
implementing it :) That's why I was so excited to hear a friend of ine
working on a PPC port of FreeBSD, because I thought he might be able to
brind SMP BSD to the bebox.

>  I believe it also is strictly 
> limited to the two processors.

OK. This would be a disincentive to taking the architecture further,
because if you don't have the potential of four flashy columns on the
front of the box, what's the point, right? :)

> Also, the 603 simply wasn't designed with multiprocessing in mind (the 
> 750 has similar problems).  For SMP, you'd really want to go with the 
> 604 or 7400 series.

OK, and are there suffieient differences between the 603 and 604 (in the
same way as say Pentium and 486) to make a complete redesign of the
motherbarod (well.. significant overhaul) necessary?

  - C