*BSD News Article 20956


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From: peter@nmti.com (peter da silva)
Subject: Re: PALcode
Message-ID: <id.H4M21.B7J@nmti.com>
Organization: Network/development platform support, NMTI
References: <GRUNWALD.93Sep12113432@foobar.cs.colorado.edu> <2700niINN8fr@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu> <CD9HsC.EIH.1@cs.cmu.edu>
Date: Tue, 14 Sep 1993 14:43:01 GMT
Lines: 14

In article <CD9HsC.EIH.1@cs.cmu.edu> lindsay+@cs.cmu.edu (Donald Lindsay) writes:
> In practice, the extra instructions are for manipulating low-level
> grunge, such as powerup and TLB refill. They have access to registers
> which are otherwise invisible, and which are not defined in the Alpha
> spec.

What happens if someone wants to port a third-party operating system (like
NetBSD, for example) to the Alpha? Do you have to make do with the published
PALcode traps, or can you get documentation on the underlying architecture?
-- 
Peter da Silva                                            `-_-'
Network Management Technology Incorporated                 'U` 
1601 Industrial Blvd.     Sugar Land, TX  77478  USA
+1 713 274 5180                       "Hast Du heute schon Deinen Wolf umarmt?"