Re: 601s and Open Firmware

[hbent%cs.oberlin.edu@localhost]

> Hello,
>
> On Nov 4, 2008, at 11:25 AM, hbent%cs.oberlin.edu@localhost wrote:
>
>> I saw it mentioned on port-powerpc that NetBSD has PPC601 support
>> now.  I
>> am aware that we don't support NuBus macs, but does this mean that
>> NetBSD
>> will work on a machine with a 601 and Open Firmware, like a 7200?  How
>> about the processor card from a 7500 (100MHz 601) in an already
>> supported
>> machine, like a 9500?
>
> 7200 vs. 9500 shouldn't make any difference - the 9500 is more or less
> a 7200 with extra bits and we officially support the 7200 with a
> suitable CPU card. Support for the 601 is in arch/powerpc and if I
> remember correctly it works on prep. For lack of hardware in the right
> hands it's never been tested on macppc, it likely needs work to
> function properly. If you want to give it a shot please do so and tell
> us how it went. Don't expect too much though.

Well, I did some experimenting this afternoon but didn't manage to get
very far.  I had a stock 7200/90 and a stock 9500/132 as a control, as
well as CDs for 1.5.1, 4.0.1, and 5.0_BETA, and a set of 5.0_BETA
floppies.  I made sure before every round of booting that load-base and
real-base were set correctly, as they seemed to have a tendency to reset
themselves.

The floppies didn't work at all.  Both machines attempted to read the disc
for only a second or two before returning with "READ TIMEOUT".  These are,
of course, rather old drives so perhaps that was the problem there.

The 1.5.1 CD booted normally on the 9500 ("boot scsi-int/sd@3:0
NETBSD.MACPPC").  Unsurprisingly, it did not boot on the 7200 ("boot
scsi/sd@3:0 NETBSD.MACPPC"; the 7200 has only a 53c94).  If I recall
correctly I got a "DEFAULT CATCH!".

The 4.0.1 CD (from the official site) would not boot on either machine. 
On the 9500 I got a DEFAULT CATCH! with code=FFF00700.  On the 7200 I got
the same thing with code=FF00C00.

The 5.0_BETA CD (from the netbsd-daily builds on the official site) also
would not boot on either machine.  Both returned "Unrecognized client
program formatstate not valid".

Seems like there are larger issues with the bootable CD right now.  I am
in the process of doing my own build of -current so that I can construct
my own CD to see if that clears anything up.

-Henry Bent