Scott Boone wrote:
> On 3/12/01 2:25 AM, "Hauke Fath" <hauke@Espresso.Rhein-Neckar.DE> wrote:
> > Nevertheless, for this class of problems, searching the mailing-list
> > archives is worth while: The Q700 issue was discussed at length.
> 
> On 3/12/01 7:17:33 AM, "Tim McNamara" <timmcn@mr.net> wrote:
> >The FAQ might not have been updated,but the problems with 1.5 and
> >Q700 has been well-discussed here on the mailing list.  Please
> >remember that NetBSD is volunteerware, not a commercial product, and
> >should be treated like alpha software in terms of expectations.
> >People are doing this in their spare time and updating the FAQ is
> >probably lower on the priority scale than many things.
> 
> Okay, I'm not a rocket scientist, but I read back in the mailing list
> archives for three months before I upgraded. I did not see this "at length"
> discussion about problems with the 1.5 kernel. I caught a basic problem that
> stopped the Q700 from booting due to video/scsi problems that was addressed
> by Hauke Fath's kernel in January. But through February and March there was
> no update, no "Hey this is fixed", nothing. There was also a running thread
> about the ESB problems, but none of it was decipherable enough to say what
> its effects were. Not to mention, no one has yet to clue me into what the
> error I'm getting even means!

there have been quite a few discussions related to various SCSI problems
(the majority seem to have been performance-releated, however).  these
problems have only affected ESP-based SCSI machines, it seems.
 
> I also read the 1.5 release notes. Nothing was in there.

the problem was noticed after the release, so it didn't make it in the
release notes.

> The Q700 is listed
> on the Ports page as being supported. No note, no asterisk, nothing.

look again ;-)  i just added a note.  assuming i didn't screw up the html
too badly, it'll show up with the next update.

> I
> understand that NetBSD is volunteerware, but the mass of knowledge NEEDS to
> be disseminated. I'd be willing to VOLUNTEER my time to update the FAQ or
> the release notes, or the website, but some of those who are doing the
> programming need to fill us lowly volunteers in with information. If
> something is broken, post it.

lot's of things are broken in 1.5.  personally, i'm still running some
kind of 1.4 derivative.  unfortunately, the level of testing available for
the 1.5 release on the mac68k port seems to have been a little less than
usual (keep in mind that the developers' machines usually work just fine, 
we need other people to test the upcoming releases on the other machines).
the end result is that things break when the release ships.  with luck,
most of this will be cleaned up for the upcoming 1.5.1 bugfix release.  if
people would try out the 1.5.1 release, it would be a big help.  of 
course, we probably need someone to volunteer to actually build some
binaries so people can check it out....

> And as for "searching the mailing-list archives", well I combed the mac68k
> Ports page and found the subscribe link and the Month-by-month archive, but
> no link taking me to a search page. Any ideas as to where, or how, I can
> SEARCH those archives---other than opening every month and reading each
> message, day by day?

i can't seem to find a search page myself.  supposedly there is one, tho.
if someone finds one or knows of one, perhaps a better link can be added
to the webpage.

> Does anyone realize that the FAQ has only 1 reference to 1.5?

unfortunately, a number of circumstances have conspired to make updating
the FAQ a bit more difficult than it used to be.  i've currently been
waiting for another one of our webpage guys to convert the FAQ to the new
.list format that is in use for many of the netbsd webpages.  i was going
to attempt a giant round of updates after that point.  i suppose that
there are enough things that are asked frequently to warrant a slightly
sooner update.  i'll try to work on it soon.

-colin