Subject: Re: Some newbie questions ... please help
To: Mehul N. Sanghvi <mehul@kirsun.ne.mediaone.net>
From: Allen Briggs <briggs@ninthwonder.com>
List: port-mac68k
Date: 02/06/2000 12:36:30
>     1.  I have a scsi-scanner which I currently can only use on the
>         MacOS side of my PowerMac since MkLinux does not have support
> 	for generic scsi (or so i was told).  The scanner is an UMAX
>         Astra 1200s.  Is this supported by NetBSD ?

I expect it will work with sane/xsane.  I'm running a UMAX Vista S-12 on
a NetBSD/i386 system.

>     2.  I also have an Epson 740 printer attached to my PowerMac and
>         that too currently can used from the MacOS side.  It will not
>         work on the MkLinux side because the kernel does not support
> 	the baud rate needed by the printer (230400 Kbaud minimu).  Is
>         this printer supported ?

I don't think there are any 68k macs that could keep up with that
printer.  I don't recall 230,400 being supported until the PowerMacs
came along, although there might be a chance with the IIfx, Q900/950,
or AV machines.  To get that speed, I think you need an external clock
signal.  Bill Studenmund might have a better answer for you, though.

>      3. Are there any known problems with Quadra 650 (like the loss of
>         time stuff that was being discussed in January (from the
> 	archives) ? 

The loss of time should not be an issue on the 650.  It should have a
full 68RC040 (not the 68LC040), so that should not be a problem, either.
You might have some problems with some SCSI devices, but you can't
really get around that with the mac68k systems right now.  I've been
outbid at Ebay on a SCSI bus analyzer twice now.  If I could get my
hands on one of them, I'd like to work on all of the NetBSD/mac68k SCSI
drivers.

>      4.  I will probably end up using it as a IP Masquerading box also
>          (I have a cable modem).  I assume NetBSD supports cable modem
> 	 and masquerading (at least from the documentation on the
> 	 website it seems to).

Yeah.  Although we don't call it "masquerading"--we call it NAT (Network
Address Translation).

>      5.  Last time I used a BSD system was way back in 1992 (Ultrix
>          and SunOS).  Then Solaris came out and DEC used OSF/1.  And
> 	 now I use Linux at home, work and Solaris at work.  How much
> 	 have things changed since then ?

Depends on where you look...  :-)

-allen