Subject: Re: anyone running MediaGX processor?
To: John F. Woods <jfw@jfwhome.funhouse.com>
From: Charles M. Hannum <mycroft@mit.edu>
List: port-i386
Date: 01/03/1998 17:01:13
> Is anyone running NetBSD on a Cyrix MediaGX processor (which supposedly
> integrates darn near the whole system onto the CPU chip)?
First, a factual correction:
MediaGX is actually composed of two chips: the CPU and a peripheral
chip. Most of the system-level functions (the timer and RTC emulation
and all that crap) is actually on the peripheral chip. To build a
complete system, you still need an external audio codec and RAMDAC,
plus various glue.
Now, to sort of answer your question:
Cyrix did some compatibility testing with NetBSD 1.2 and found a
problem that they couldn't (or didn't have time to?) debug. They sent
me a motherboard, but unfortunately just about everything regarding
the board is non-standard, and I couldn't use it. I still haven't
tried NetBSD on a MediaGX myself.
I know that a commercial company is using NetBSD running on a MediaGX
in their product, so I assume it works, but I don't know how much
they've had to hack.
The latest line of Compaq Presario laptops are apparently based on the
MediaGX, so it would be good to have a definitive `yay' or `nay'.