Re: SPARCStation VSIMM

[Michael <macallan%netbsd.org@localhost>]

Hello,

On Wed, 20 Oct 2021 09:26:26 -0600
Aaron <aranderson%gmail.com@localhost> wrote:

> Hello! Let me start with a preemptive apology for posting slightly
> off-topic, but after a year of searching, I've exhausted every other
> avenue I can think of! My SS20 is running NetBSD 9.2 quite nicely, but
> its capabilities in X are hamstrung by an 8-bit SBUS framebuffer.
> E.g., NetSurf won't render, Afterstep looks terrible, etc.
> 
> I'm not interested in a ZX/Leo for several reasons (poor driver
> support, very unreliable hardware, heat issues), which leaves an 8MB
> VSIMM (p/n: 501-2482) as the only real option. Since this is the
> closest thing to an online SPARC community I'm aware of, might anyone
> on this list have a lead on one of these rare birds?

There are a few other options to get 24bit graphics on an ss20,
although they're also mostly made of unobtainium:
- the Fujitsu AG-10e is basically Frankenstein's Monster of graphics
  cards, it has three(!) PCI graphics chips behind a custom bridge, the
  24bit part is handled by a glint 300SX. Needs EXA support but should
  work as dumb fb. Double-wide SBus card, the glint has 12MB
  framebuffer. 
- Southland Media MGX, another PCI-behind-custom-bridge thing, single
  slot SBus card, 4MB fb.

Both have kernel support and X works in 24bit colour, although
unaccelerated but with shadowfb and hardware cursor it's mostly usable.
There's XAA support in the ag10e driver, converting to EXA shouldn't be
hard, I've done it for Permedia2 which is basically a low end Glint
with VGA support. As for mgx, I need to finish the native X driver at
some point...
Both cards stay relatively cool, they don't even have heatsinks
anywhere.

There are other cards, but the above are the ones we have driver
support for.

have fun
Michael