> Looking at the nearly anemic traffic on the sparc64 list, I have some
> questions about getting netbsd up and running so I can start helping.
> 
> I read earlier that I can install the a recent netbsd/sparc elf snapshot
> to get something that's at least self-hosting. I guess that would require
> me to go through serial, since netbsd doesn't yet support the creator
> framebuffer, yes?

No, not necessarily.  The mouse and keyboard are on a zs chip which is
supported, and console output goes through the PROM when X is not
active.  It'll probably work.  You just won't be able to run X11.

> 
> (I infer from this that the netbsd/sparc GENERIC kernel will boot on this
> machine?)

No.  You need a NetBSD/sparc64 GENERIC kernel.  You will have some
issues.  You may have issues with your OBP device tree if you have any
UPA nodes between root and the SBus nodes.  If you can get Solaris
running on it, mail me the output of `prtconf -pv' and I'll check it
out.

Your hme network connection will probably work if it manages to
attach.  But the FAS disk controller is not supported.  Someone needs
to convert the ncr53c9x driver to handle fas366.  So you will need
some other SCSI controller, preferably an esp.

> 
> I've had some experience with netbsd/{sun3,pmax,sparc} but this my first
> ultrasparc machine...
> 
> Are there any projects good for a neophyte to start picking away at?

Take a look at the sparc64 projects list.

=========================================================================
Eduardo Horvath				eeh@netbsd.org
	"I need to find a pithy new quote." -- me