Re: Debian on mac68k (Mac IIfx update)
On Tue, 1 Nov 2016, Mac User wrote:
> Update on Mac IIfx...
>
> My Mac IIfx works with "vmlinux-4.1.35-mac_scsi-egret+" using my Debian
> 3.1 filesystems and boot scripts (I'll do a clean install when there's a
> new release). After switching to a Farallon EtherMac II-C card (needed
> so A/UX would work), stock Debian 3.1 (with Linux kernel 2.2.25) hung in
> the boot process after initializing the Farallon EtherMac II-C card; the
> mac8390 module must have been updated since 2.2.25.
>
> For the official Debian release, I would find it helpful to include the
> kernel option that sets the date in the kernel before mounting
> filesystems; at first boot, vmlinux-4.1.35-mac_scsi-egret+ took a long
> time to check all the filesystems (thinking they hadn't been checked in
> thousands of days).
It's a good idea. The problem is that Linux doesn't have any support for
the RTC on some Macs (i.e. Quadra 900/950 and early Powerbooks) and I'm
not sure how a kernel configured with CONFIG_RTC_HCTOSYS=y will handle it.
ISTR seeing a boot hang from this. I have a Powerbook 180 here so I'll
test it.
In the past, it has been suggested that the kernel could get the date and
time from the bootinfo records as a workaround. Not sure if Emile provides
for this, but Penguin does.
Does the output from "hwclock -r" agree with Mac OS on your IIfx? If so,
you could get your hwclock init script to run "hwclock --hctosys" before
the fsck and mount scripts execute.
>
> I'll send an updated crash report for the LC III soon.
>
> I'm reading with interest the messages regarding mac68k SCSI. Alhough
> most of it is going over my head at this point, I'd be happy to help
> with any testing; I have these systems available:
>
> 1) IIfx (32MB, Farallon EtherMac II-C, Radius 24x video)
> 2) LC III (36 MB, Farallon EtherMac LC-TP, built-in video)
> 3) Centris 650 (136 MB, Sonic ethernet, built-in video)
> 4) 660av (68MB, built-in ethernet, built-in video)
> 5) SE/30 (128MB, Farallon ethernet, possible flaky SCSI)
Any testing is helpful, with or without SCSI.
Regarding the esp_scsi bug that affects your 660av, would you be able to
send a close-up photo of the SCSI chip in your 660av?
The missing SCSI DMA support for machines that have the necessary hardware
(IIfx and 660/840av) is really only a performance loss, so it isn't a
priority for me. There are more serious issues like missing drivers.
>
> Is there a preferred HOWTO or other documentation to learn more about
> mac68k SCSI? I realize some of it (such as IIfx SCSI) isn't documented
> very well.
The materials I rely upon are mentioned at various places in the source
code: The Guide to Mac Family Hardware, Designing Cards and Drivers for
the Macintosh, Inside Macintosh, MacsBug, Apple Developer Notes and Tech
Notes, numerous chip manufacturer datasheets, mkLinux, XNU, NetBSD and
MAME/MESS source code, and various bits and pieces of documentation around
the web such as www.mac.linux-m68k.org. For drivers like SCSI, which
involve complex protocols and peripherals, you also need the relevant
standards documents. Because of Apple's proprietary ASICs, for which Apple
never published technical data, a lot of experimentation and guesswork has
also been necessary.
--
>
> -Stan
>
>
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