lots of questions

[Maciej W. Rozycki]

On Mon, 23 Aug 2010, Matt Turner wrote:

> Quite interesting. I've got a VAX 4000/m60 I'd like to add to the
> effort at some point. (I knew there was a reason I wasn't getting rid
> of it!)

 The 4000/60 is among the best supported as far as the kernel is 
concerned.  I used JBG's /60 to finish some dynamic loader bits at last 
year's Essen Linux developers meeting.  Keep it, definitely!

 For comparison, with my 4000/90 I need to use a TURBOchannel PMAD-A 
network card to get at the networked root filesystem I use.  The onboard 
SGEC is not supported, although documentation is available and fixing the 
existing but broken driver should be quite straightforward.  But we need 
to update kernel interfaces first, in particular get a working DMA API.  
Beside the SGEC it'll let some other TC cards work with the box, like the 
FDDI DEFTA, etc.

 Onboard SCSI may be difficult though as there's no documentation for the 
custom CAEC and SQWF FPGA chips and all we've got working is based on 
reverse-engineering.  At least we've got the EDAL interrupts right now. :)

 Finally LCSPX graphics doesn't work, but you can use a TC graphics card 
instead.  I tested a PMAGB-B and some PMAGD variants successfully as the 
Linux console output device.  You lose the PMAD-A though then, of course 
;) (so I couldn't check anything beyond the kernel bootstrap log).

> Is there any soft of active Linux/VAX website? I don't guess Dave
> Airlie still is involved? :)

 I've meant to update the SF site sometime (http://linux-vax.sf.net/).  I 
just ran out of time this year. :(

 The mailing list (linux-vax at pergamentum.com) is active, although with 
little traffic; I just can't persuade the admin to fix the archive.  
Perhaps we'll move elsewhere eventually.

 Dave has moved over to some graphics development and I haven't heard from 
him about any VAX stuff for years.  He's been active at the LKML though.

  Maciej