*BSD News Article 31839


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From: briggs@cray-ymp.acm.stuorg.vt.edu (Allen Briggs)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd
Subject: Re: NetBSD running on PowerMacintae?
Date: 19 Jun 1994 17:23:42 GMT
Organization: Virginia Tech ACM Student Chapter
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In article <2u1tog$nl6@hearst.cac.psu.edu> jth122@curtiss.cac.psu.edu (John Hale) writes:
>Hi -- forgive me if this is in the FAQ, but the docs for NetBSD (mac/M68K)
>say that it will not run on a macintosh that uses a 68040. To my knowledge,
>the emulator in the PPC macs emulates this chip.

Yes, the PowerMac system software emulates a 68040, but without MMU or
FPU, I believe.  (the 68EC040, perhaps?  It doesn't really matter...)
In any case, this emulation is happening at the system software level.
NetBSD/Mac68k ditches the system software, so that emulation capability
would be lost.  Not only that, but some of the hardware (non-processor)
is different in the PowerMacs.  Since we're accessing that hardware
directly, it doesn't have a prayer of working.
Don't waste your time downloading it.

>And on a realted subject, if there is any news on the PPC-Linux development

There is such a beast?  Good luck to them!

-allen

--
Allen Briggs - end killing - allen.briggs@vt.edu ** MacBSD == NetBSD/Mac **
= Over the years you swam the ocean following feelings of your own [...]  =
== It's a shame to have to die to put the shadow on our eyes.  We don't  ==
=== want to care. Under the bridge. Over the phone. Wind on the Water.  ===