mac classic with scsi-ethernet?
Saturday, October 24 1998 19:07, wb2oyc <wb2oyc@bellatlantic.net> wrote to Udo
van den Heuvel:
>> And there's no way of using or looking at the netbsd source?
>> Reverse engineering macOS drivers is OK? Doubt it.
>>
wo> Yep, thats why I've mentioned NetBSD IS working with these, in hopes
wo> that the developer guys would see that. :)
El JoPe Magnifico <jope@n2h2.com> wrote me that there are license differences
so the person who writes the Linux code just can't be the same person who
looks at the NetBSD code. Or some other similarly unintuitive workaround.
So is it easier to use the *bsd source or develop the drivers from scratch?
later on we could always replace code we don't like. :-)
(or what's the 'official' point of view about matters like these?)
I can only read (not too complex) C but I'd like to help, when necessary.
>> I need to get some disk(s) to replace the original 40/80M
>> disks and (re)install macOS 7.0.1 on them.
wo> I have installed a minimal Debian/68k on an old SyQuest 44MB disk. The
wo> Debian is just the base obviously, but it does work!
Oh, then I'll move the 80M disk to the Classic and put a 1G (or so) disk in the
Classic II so I can run macOS, Linux and maybe (open)bsd on it.
>> When macOS is working I can try Linux on the clasic II; I understand that
>> I can write some floppies to boot from and that an install is basically
>> possible
>>
wo> I don't think thats correct...the floppy drive doesn't work once you have
wo> Debian installed...or at least I haven't figured it out yet.
Oh, yes, I searched and remembered. The installation needs macOS to boot from.
Debian installation files go on the HFS partition.
BTW: does the floppy work in some *bsd flavour?
>> but what about the problem Fumio.Chisaka <chisaka@upu.wlw.co.jp>
>> reported about the installation messages being too wide for a 9"
>> monitor? Is there a way to fix this?
>>
wo> I have no idea on that score.
We could always patch the (installation) kernel so it thinks the display is
smaller, can't we?
>> When the system is working, what parts of the machine (kernel!) need
>> testing or improvement? I am quite new to macs but a portable linux
>> system can be quite handy especially when the network _is_ supported!
>>
wo> Hold on, the network DOES WORK, but not using the builtin controller,
wo> and ONLY with kernel 2.1.120 #14, as far as my experience goes.
Eh, sorry, I was writing from my own point of view. Of course the network works
(tcp/ip, etc), it's the hardware that needs to be supported.
I'll be using a plain Classic II which doesn't have any slots so I need the
external SCSI <-> Ethernet adapter which _surely_ isn't supported, yet.
wo> I don't think the serial ports work either, but I hesitate to say that
wo> unequivocally since I haven't yet sorted it out with the three kernels
wo> I have been using.
I can test that here. Enough cables and machines (PC's, mainly).
wo> I'll try them again and let you know how it goes. This time with a
wo> modem since that should at least allow me to see characters back and
wo> forth if they are working at all.
Is there any difference (with regard to the serial ports) between the 2.1.x and
2.0.x kernels?
wo> One thing I really like is the handling of MacOS filesystems from the
wo> Debian side. You just mount'em, and its there. Cool! And very nice
wo> and useful too!
Just like mounting MSDOS (FATxx) filesystems on the PC? Cool!
wo> I'm not sure if you realize this or not, but with the variability of
wo> the Mac hardware, and in particular its ROMs and LSI chipsets being so
wo> different from model to model, I'd say these guys have pulled off a
wo> minor miracle in pretty short order!
I'm quite new to Macs so I don't know too much. ROMs shouldn't be used on PC's
but Mac ROMs can be 32-bit clean, I read. This means they can also be used
reentrant?
wo> What makes it more difficult is that Apple essentially refuses to
wo> provide much help with this sort of effort either,
Argh! This is no good.
wo> I don't know about you, but I'm thrilled to see Debian on my Mac! I
wo> go back aways with Debian, but I don't run it anymore on Intel, but
wo> thats not because I don't like it, because I do. It was my favorite
wo> Linux for years! And I only switched on Intel because of business.
I run redhat on my PC and chose debian for my mac because they have these CD
images for FTP. Once we succeed in burning this image to CD-R I can try a few
things.
I suppose this image is plain ISO9660 with rockridge extensions? Maybe some
Mac-like FS?
wo> But now having it on Mac, or almost, is great!
I already wrote that once my Classic II can connect to an ethernet everything
is really OK: a truly portable linux box (and no plain laptop: i.e. a pc)!
I read that there are already some initiatives for supporting SCSI <-> Ethernet
adapters but I couldn't find out what adapters are being worked on, by whom or
what the status is. Does anybody have a clue about this?
Greetz,
Udo
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