On Fri, 2005-05-06 17:03:24 +0200, gulgulan <gulgulan@gmail.com> wrote:
> I'm thinking about starting a web and e-mail server using an Indigo
> box (not Indy, not Indigo 2. Indigo with a R4000). Before reinstall
> IRIX in it, I wanted to try to install Debian.
>
> After reading a few messages, I've find phrases like "Stop thinking
> about using Linux on it." or "None of the Indigos are supported :-(".
> The mails are dated in 2002 and 2003.
>
> Is it true nowadays? Is it better to forget it?
That's basically still true. However, things vary. At some time,
everybody was sure the Indigo (be it R3k or R4k) is a totally different
machine compared to Indigo2 or Indy, but there are rumors that the box
isn't all /that/ different as initially expected. Though, there hasn't
been done any work towards making it work.
For a _very_ basic port, there are some hints:
- IIRC Irix 5.3 is the latest that supports the Indigo. If you
want to eg. disassemble Irix' kernel to gain some details,
start there.
- Irix 5.3 also includes some header files which may be of some
interest.
- I'm not sure, but I may remember that there was some limited
support in "Plan 9" for the Indigo. Maybe it's worth digging
for it's sources.
- If you cannot get _any_ information about the box, get an
EPROM reader and read out Indigo's EPROMs. I've done this for
some VAXen (which are actually surprisingly well documentes:-)
and disassembling the ROMs basically works. The firmware _can_
use any important peripheral devices, so you get the basics.
Maybe the EPROM could be read through serial console, but I
don't know... That would save you from getting an EPROM
reader.
MfG, JBG
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