For its excellent backward compatibility: NetBSD 6.1 is still able to run a.out binaries built for NetBSD 1.0
For its system-independant build system. Building NetBSD needs a POSIX system with a C compiler, which does not need to be NetBSD. It first builds the tools for the host, including the compiler itself, and then the target NetBSD system, which may be for another CPU.
For its machine-independant drivers. Have a fancy platform with an odd CPU? If NetBSD has a driver for a chip, it will work a
Have you considered lending the machine to a NetBSD developer? In order to have hardware supported, we need the conjunction of (access to hardware, skills, time). You may lack the second entry of the tuple, but someone else may just lack the first one.
NetBSD mailing lists (port-sgimips here) are the right place to discuss such an arrangement
I don't know any NetBSD devs, and especially not any that live in close proximity to me (I'm in Baltimore, MD). It's a heavy machine (~25 Kilos), and I'd rather not pay shipping costs.
Based on your posts it sounds like you are a NetBSD developer. If there is an interest in making it work, perhaps something can be arranged.
Please subscribe to the port-sgimips mailing list [netbsd.org] and tell that you are ready to lend the machine to someone that would pick it up or pay shipping. You will get an answer or not, but at least you will have tried
Maybe you could just hook this machine to your DSL router plus some sort of KVM switch ? I am to privy to the details of KVM stuff, but there should not be a general reason it cannot work.
Then you could make this machine available to a guy in Norway or maybe even Morocco.
For kernel developement, a remote-controlled power socket is also required, as the machine will probably crash a lot
Reading the project page, X isn't supported on the Octane. While Gentoo was a pain to install on the Octane and get running (not supported anymore, this was back in 2007-8), it did have basic X support. Newer kernels probably don't work at all on this hardware. I've got two sitting in my room now (not the ones I got working in the LUG years ago), that it looks like IRIX is the only viable choice for.
A few years prior to that (probably around 2003 or so) Gentoo was a pain to install on a Mac but it was SOOOOO cool to see the penguin on the screen once I got it going.
OpenBSD runs on Octane supporting Octane 2 or ImpactSR graphics cards but no audio.....but it's one thing to run a server which is the main target of BSD, but quite another to make a desktop. There is GNU/Linux for Octane too such as Debian
Why NetBSD? (Score:5, Informative)
Why NetBSD?
Re:Why NetBSD? (Score:2)
The one system I really wanted to run NetBSD on isn't supported (SGI Octane). Ruined the whole "Of course it runs NetBSD" joke for me.
Re:Why NetBSD? (Score:5, Informative)
Have you considered lending the machine to a NetBSD developer? In order to have hardware supported, we need the conjunction of (access to hardware, skills, time). You may lack the second entry of the tuple, but someone else may just lack the first one.
NetBSD mailing lists (port-sgimips here) are the right place to discuss such an arrangement
Re:Why NetBSD? (Score:4, Informative)
I don't know any NetBSD devs, and especially not any that live in close proximity to me (I'm in Baltimore, MD). It's a heavy machine (~25 Kilos), and I'd rather not pay shipping costs.
Based on your posts it sounds like you are a NetBSD developer. If there is an interest in making it work, perhaps something can be arranged.
Re:Why NetBSD? (Score:5, Informative)
Please subscribe to the port-sgimips mailing list [netbsd.org] and tell that you are ready to lend the machine to someone that would pick it up or pay shipping. You will get an answer or not, but at least you will have tried
Re: (Score:2)
Maybe you could just hook this machine to your DSL router plus some sort of KVM switch ? I am to privy to the details of KVM stuff, but there should not be a general reason it cannot work.
Then you could make this machine available to a guy in Norway or maybe even Morocco.
For kernel developement, a remote-controlled power socket is also required, as the machine will probably crash a lot
Comment removed (Score:4, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
Reading the project page, X isn't supported on the Octane. While Gentoo was a pain to install on the Octane and get running (not supported anymore, this was back in 2007-8), it did have basic X support. Newer kernels probably don't work at all on this hardware. I've got two sitting in my room now (not the ones I got working in the LUG years ago), that it looks like IRIX is the only viable choice for.
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
OpenBSD runs on Octane supporting Octane 2 or ImpactSR graphics cards but no audio.....but it's one thing to run a server which is the main target of BSD, but quite another to make a desktop. There is GNU/Linux for Octane too such as Debian
Re: (Score:2)
Debian doesn't run on Octane (least not last time I checked). Gentoo was the only option when I was playing with it several years ago.