Re: Netra X1

[Rob Walsh <rjw1@frontiernet.net>]

On Fri, Mar 23, 2001 at 02:13:54PM -0800, Adam McKenna wrote:
> I just managed to pick up a Netra X1, and of course I'd like to install
> Debian on it. 

I just got a loaner for work, as well -- I love these little things.

> The only problem is that as far as I know, this server won't
> run Linux at all. 

We also bought a bunch of Netra AC200's which are similar, but beefier
versions.  Since the 200's do have CD drives, I tried to boot my
potato (2.2r2) CD in it, just to see...  It loaded the kernel, (and
uncompressed it?), and hung.  :-(  This is a CD which I have used
successfully on many other sparcs: U10, U5, U1, SS5, ...  (Anybody got
an E10k I can play with?  :-) 

Also, the official (and empirical) word is that these boxes (x1 and
AC200) will only run Solaris 8.  It's my guess that there are some
significant changes in the architecture / chipset.  (UltraSparcIIe,
among other things.)

> Does anyone know who's working on kernel support for these?
> The box is getting colo'd soon and I'd be happy to give a (solaris 8) shell
> to anyone interested in helping with Linux support on these.
> 
> The Ethernet controllers are Davicom DM9102, I don't know much about the
> other hardware (dmesg on solaris is kind of sparse.)

I'm not a developer of any sort, just a scrounger of old hardware.
It'll be great when support gets here, though -- the price point on
the x1 is fantastic for a 1U box.  (I'm going to try to temporarily
connect a CD drive to the spare IDE connector, with the cover off --
The lack of cdrom access is the only thing I don't like, but I'd be
happy with having it there at install-time only...)

Later,
  Rob.