Subject: Re: Q950 status report: HWDIRECT.356
To: Jonathan Lennox <lennox@cs.columbia.edu>
From: Allen Briggs <briggs@puma.macbsd.com>
List: port-mac68k
Date: 09/29/1997 10:20:52
> * SCSI - The esp driver sucessfully detects and probes both SCSI busses.

I'd argue that.  I think the parity errors are actually a symptom of it
not handling the second bus properly.  I'm hoping that if I get a Q900,
it will be a quick fix to get that working--if I don't get a Q900, I'll
work with you on getting it working.  A kind person has offerred to send
me a Q900 to work with, but he's been quite busy.  This isn't a problem
yet as I'm not actively working on this yet (see below).

> * SERIAL - the kernel boot reports finding a zsc0,

I don't think it's actually found it.

> * NUBUS - I hang just after the nubus scan begins, I assume.  I have two
>   nubus cards -- a SuperMac video card (which is clearly working, at least
>   to some extent, being my console display) and a Hustler 2-port accelerated
>   serial card, which I suspect is more likely to be the cause of the
>   problem.  What can I do to help track this down?

This is probably an interrupt thing, although interrupts shouldn't be
enabled, I think.  We can work on this one, too.  Would you mind waiting
until we can get some kind of console I/O for you?

> Allan Briggs: are you still working on the IIfx and 900-class Quadras?  Is
> there anything I can help test yet?

I am, but not actively.  I'm currently waiting to find out if
Apple's Technology Licensing will release some information for me.
I've gotten in contact with the person who wrote the A/UX drivers
for the IIfx (the Q900/Q950 use the same IOP system), and he's
still got scads of documentation that he just needs permission to
release.  I am currently an Apple Developer, and I have signed an
NDA for the developer seeding program...  I think that I can get
them to release the documentation (but probably not source code),
but since it won't have much, if any, effect on Apple's bottom
line, my request is fairly low on the priority scale, and I've been
told not to expect a response until mid-October.  I don't see any
reason to bang my head against the ROMs until I know for sure
whether or not I'll get the documentation (which I won't be able
to release, but which I will be able to use to develop releasable
source code).

Anyway, that's what's going on in a nutshell.  Add to that the fact that
I had to canabalize my Q700's power supply for puma (IIcx) over the
weekend so I'm NetBSD-less until I get a replacement power supply in...

-allen

-- 
              Allen Briggs - end killing - briggs@macbsd.com