Re: Everyone's SRM woes

[alvin <alvin iplink net>]

Rich Payne wrote:
> 
> >
> > Because the source for MILO is generaly available and it is based on the
> > linux kernel, new drivers can be added reasonably easly. For the same
> > reason bugs can be fixed when they crop up.
> 
> The source is available yes, and several people continue to work on
> it. However, the x86 emulator included with it is binary only and guessing
> from its age, will do no better than older SRMs with newer video cards
> etc....I suppose if somebody wanted to they may be able to use the x86
> emulator that the XFree86 guys use, but I'd imagine this to be a major
> undertaking.

What is the current version of SRM using? Would it not be possible to
get a more current x86 emulator from the previous source. On the other
hand other than bugs I don't think the x86 instruction set has changed
in the last few years.
 
> > MILO has some problems with setting up some motherboards. The usual
> > answer I get to questions about MILO are "well just use SRM it is there
> > and works".  I think this discussion is evidence that althought SRM is
> > there it does not allways work.
> >
> > Would it not be worth the while of the Alpha community to try and find a
> > single boot loader and get it working with all the various motherboards.
> > Somthing that the community as a whole can support. Right now there are
> > at least 4 different loaders with various levels of support.
> 
> Also there's no EV6 support in MILO, so that would have to be added, and I
> think MILOs only value in this case is when it could be flashed into the
> ROM, replacing AlphaBIOS/SRM. If you're just starting it from ARC then I
> really don't see any advantage.

Yes MILO needs some work. The issue is to have a single boot loader that
can be loaded into flash and supported. Right now you can have 5
diffrent versions of motherboards with 6 different boot loaders. 

I have nothing against SRM. It is just that I would like to see a single
supportable method for booting linux on alpha not the current cooks tour
of boot loader technology.

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Alvin Starr                   ||   voice: (416)585-9971
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