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Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!munnari.oz.au!ariel.ucs.unimelb.EDU.AU!ucsvc.ucs.unimelb.edu.au!lugb!latcs1!wongm
Newsgroups: comp.os.386bsd.misc,comp.os.386bsd.questions
Subject: PC hardware technical books recommended please! Etherlink III driver ?
Message-ID: <CE2n0D.32E@latcs1.lat.oz.au>
From: wongm@latcs1.lat.oz.au (M.C. Wong)
Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1993 15:57:48 GMT
Organization: Comp Sci, La Trobe Uni, Australia
Lines: 37

Hi,
  I realize that this might not be the right place to post this
question, please direct me to else where if you can.

  I am pretty new to playing with PC hardware (< 1 yr) seriously, and when
running *BSD on a 486/33, I realize it is important for me to know
more technical details/untold/tips on every piece of hardware on
my machine, I therefore wish someone can recommend some (very) good (very) 
technical books on PC hardware, including (not limited to) 
HDD (IDE, SCSI, ESDI etc), buses (ISA, EISA, VESA), memory, network
cards, serial ports etc. I know basic stuff about those items, but I
like to learn more about things like "how SCSI-2 fast transfer rate
can be limited by different bus type" etc! 

  Also, I can't seem to find relevant info on writing driver for differnet 
hardware, and I am interested in doing it. Reason being that when ever I try to 
get hold of a new piece of hardware I am at the mercy of the available drivers
and support of the OS (eg : Etherlink III driver fofr *BSD), and I wish
I could write the driver myself, and that solves all the unnecessary
waiting for one to come into the net. I wonder where can I get hold of hardware
interface/programming manuals, since vendors don't supply these kind of things
even if you ask, and I am sick of asking and getting no where!

  Also, if someone can recommend any good books on building, maintaining and 
repairing 486, that will be great, as I realized that many people do that in 
USA, but here in Australia, users and vendors are really two mutually exclusive 
categories, and as a result they can reap more profits from those who are not 
technically-know-how category like myself! 

  Please email me any recommendation if you can or direct me to other
newsgroup. Many thanks in advance!

  Finally, is driver for EtherLink III (3c509) ready for *BSD yet ?

- wongm@latcs1.lat.oz.au (M.C Wong)
-- 
- wongm@latcs1.lat.oz.au