Re: debian-mips on cobalt hardware

[Martin Schulze <joey@finlandia.Infodrom.North.DE>]

Nathaniel Irons wrote:
> I'm looking into buying the Cobalt Qube2, originally under the theory
> that I could safely limp along with their webby admin system for a while
> while I get my bearings running a box, and eventually replace their
> weird, customized, somewhat elderly kernel and configuration with a more
> current distribution.
> 
> That plan predates my having read over materials such as:
> 
> a)  www.linux.sgi.com ("The Cobalt Qube support has never been 
>     integrated into the official Linux/MIPS 2.1.x kernels"), 

True, unfortunately.

> b)  the horrifying, chaotic list archives at cobaltnet.com 
>     (<http://ftp.cobaltnet.com/lists/cobalt-users/msg07124.html>), 

Ouch. :)

> c)  and the near-total lack of any cobalt discussion in Debian's mailing 
>     list archives.  

I remember some blurb about it quite a while ago.

> Did I miss anything?  Is it reasonable to ever hope to install a
> functional debian on this apparently-bastard hardware?

I guess you should be able to install Debian on the box.  However,
you will need to stay with the Cobalt-Kernel.  Somebody has to
integrate the required patches into the main kernel.  I really
wonder why this hasn't been done since Dave Miller was working
for Cobalt at that time, iirc.

Anyway, the architecture is supported, the port is just growing,
Only installations and plain kernels wil be a problem.  Well,
I guess you won't be able to run X on it as well...

Regards,

	Joey

-- 
All language designers are arrogant.  Goes with the territory...
	-- Larry Wall