Subject: Current level of LC040 support?
To: None <port-mac68k@netbsd.org>
From: E. Seth Miller <esmiller@umich.edu>
List: port-mac68k
Date: 11/13/2003 15:35:54
Greetings, all-
This is probably of greatest relevance to Bruce ONeel, but I'd love to
hear from anybody with input.  What's the current status of LC040 support
for NetBSD/mac68k?  I've seen the -msoft-float build of 1.6.1, but haven't
had the chance to try it out yet.  However, I have a few questions about
it.

First, is this going to work with any LC040, or only the non-buggy (mask
revision 2E71M and later) ones?  My impression is that, due to an errata
on the early LC040s, -msoft-float is insufficient to allow machines
equipped with those processors to run NetBSD.  Is this no longer the case?

Second, assuming that it's still the case, does anybody have information
on what exactly fails?  Most importantly, is there a quick way to test if
a system has a good or bad mask revision?  Last I knew, the easiest way to
test was to run SoftwareFPU or just try NetBSD.  Is there any better
method out there now?  Assuming there isn't, does anybody have some leads
I could follow to figure out what exactly is failing and a way to easily
test it?

Of course, if I've missed something, by all means, let me know.  I've
looked through the list archives and didn't see an answer, but if it was
there, feel free to send me on my way with a thwack upside the head.
The documentation, though, seems decidedly out of date with the current
state of things, so it's hard to know what's been done.  Hopefully,
somebody can fill me in!

	-Seth Miller