Re: IBM RS/6000 43P Model 150 (fwd)

[Bill Studenmund <wrstuden%nas.nasa.gov@localhost>]

Should forward this over.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 16 Nov 1999 14:58:47 -0800 (PST)
From: Bill Studenmund <wrstuden%nas.nasa.gov@localhost>
To: David Rankin <drankin%bohemians.lexington.ky.us@localhost>
Cc: David Brownlee <abs%mono.org@localhost>, current-users%netbsd.org@localhost,
    bstark%siemens-psc.com@localhost, port-macppc%netbsd.org@localhost
Subject: Re: IBM RS/6000 43P Model 150

On Tue, 16 Nov 1999, David Rankin wrote:

> Note the copy to port-macppc. Maybe they can help.
> 
> No, but they are CHRP compliant, which means they have OpenFirmware on
> them. Given that NetBSD/ofppc appears to be dying a slow death, the best
> starting point would be NetBSD/macppc. Since the CHRP specifies a lot of
> the hardware specs, I doubt it'd take a lot to get NetBSD going on a 140.

Actually I think ofppc would be the best port for this. It's rather quiet,
but I don't think it's dead. :-)

> For those with RS6K machines, here's your difference:
> CHRP: F50/H50, F70, 43P 140/240, 43P 150, and other newer models.
> 
> PReP: 43P 100/120/133, 6050/6070, 6015, F30, F40 (I think) and older PCI/ISA
> 
> Now, to answer Brian's question in the short form: the Powerpc REverence
> Platform was supposed to be a vendor-neutral architecture where you could
> have run-once, run anywhere OSes for PowerPC. It didn't work. The Common

PReP's main problem was that it was made w/ little to no input from Apple,
so they didn't use it as a clone base. :-)

> Hardware Reference Platform at least patched some of the hardware problems and
> introduced OpenFirmware. OpenFirmware is definitely one of the best
> hardware/bootware ideas around right now. Makes you wish Intel would
> force a move to it for the Merced chipsets...

Take care,

Bill