What is the point of the 68k port of NetBSD?  Is it
entirely academic?  The x86 port of NetBSD will run on
everything from the slowest 386sx-16 to the fastest
Athlon.  But because Apple dropped the 68k for the
PowerPC, this port of NetBSD is limited to running on
vintage computers.  This wouldn't be so bad if the
code base for NetBSD was becoming more efficient as
time went by, thereby compensating for the increasing
obsolescense of these systems.  Unfortunately it is
not.  Every relese of NetBSD has been less efficient
than the last.  You don't see this on newer systems
because the difference is not all that great, but on a
platform that isn't being improved  these small losses
in efficiency add up.  Just like Linux, OpenBSD, and
FreeBSD, the primary development platform for NetBSD
is the standard PC.  When this code is ported to a 68k
Mac, which in its day was a fast system, it runs like
molasses through a soda straw.  

Five years or more ago this project was a good idea,
there were lots of 68k macs still being used.  In fact
if Apple had been forthcoming with the technical
details of how these systems worked then, NetBSD might
be a really slick OS on the Mac now, with full color X
and complete support for all devices on all the
models.  But Apple behaved like a spoiled brat, as
usual, and so that didn't happen.  So now I'm
wondering what the point is anymore.  If this is an
academic exercise, or something people are doing
because it is fun for them then great, but if its some
kind of serious pursuit, then people might want to
look at what exactly it is that they're accomplishing.
 Creating a better version of unix for an obsolete
platform that very few people use anymore isn't much
of an achievement.  Its about on par with creating a
better 8 track tape.  Unless the porting work can be
applied elsewhere as well, such as to the PowerPC
port, then just what good is it?

I'm not trying to discourage anyone from doing the
porting work if that is what they enjoy doing, or if
they are learning valuable knowledge from doing so
that can be applied to more useful project.  I'm just
wondering what the motivation behind it is at this
point because I just can't see any practical use for
it.

Lee Reynolds

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