Re: Fujitsu Primepower 200
That really is a pitty...
Does this mean that there is only one possibility : change the source (and
recompile) the Debian SPARC kernel according to detailed specs which I can
hopefully find somewhere on the net ?
If this is the way to go, I'm ready to try it. I've never done this before
(changing source, recompiling a kernel), but I'm not afraid of a nice
challenge now and then. I guess you and other members on the list are ready
to give me help when I need some.
Filip
----- Original Message -----
From: "Andrew Sharp" <andy@netfall.com>
To: "Filip Meuleman" <Filip.Meuleman@lid.kviv.be>
Cc: "Andrew, Chris Mr" <Chris.Andrew485@mod.uk>;
<debian-sparc@lists.debian.org>
Sent: Wednesday, November 30, 2005 6:45 AM
Subject: Re: Fujitsu Primepower 200
> In that case, it is running a ultraSPARC-2 compatible processor made by
> HaL (later bought by Fujitsu) and while it does run Solaris, because
> Solaris has been ported to the processor (I helped port Solaris 8
> to this processor back in the day as a contractor for Fuj), Linux
> does not work on it. It has a different MMU and a slightly different
> register window size (I can't remember if it's smaller or larger) and
> a slightly different FPU and slightly different boot PROM. Because of
> these differences, Linux has never been ported to it. It was a nice
> processor though, significantly faster per clock than an ultraSPARC 2.
> I don't think the programming specs were ever released to the public,
> although it isn't some great secret for some time now, so maybe they
> are available somewhere on the internet.
>
> >From the user level, they are supposed to be indistinguishable, but
> if you have a program with one of the 2-3 floating point instructions
> that their FPU doesn't have, those would be emulated via kernel traps.
> Very slow but really should never happen because program should never
> have these instructions embedded in them, they should always use the
> libraries, so that they will run at a fast speed no matter what model
> processor they are on. An architecture that I think glibc is just
> starting to warm up to these days.
>
> a
>
> On Tue, Nov 29, 2005 at 09:05:41PM +0100, Filip Meuleman wrote:
> > It defintively is, Chris.
> > It has a SPARC64 processor ("SPARC64 GP", according to the datasheet).
There is some more info on
http://www.fujitsu.com/global/services/computing/server/unix/archives/PRMPWR
_200.html
> > The processor is conform to the SPARC International V9 architecture...
(I have no idea what this means exactly, but it sounds nice)
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Filip
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Andrew, Chris Mr
> > To: Filip Meuleman
> > Sent: Monday, November 28, 2005 10:48 AM
> > Subject: RE: Fujitsu Primepower 200
> >
> >
> > Filip,
> >
> > Forgive my innocence, is this machine SPARC based?
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Chris.
> >
> >
> >
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
> > From: Filip Meuleman [mailto:Filip.Meuleman@lid.kviv.be]
> > Sent: 26 November 2005 20:14
> > To: debian-sparc@lists.debian.org
> > Subject: Fujitsu Primepower 200
> >
> >
> > Hello,
> >
> > I'm trying to install Debian Sparc on a Fujitsu Primepower 200
machine.
> > Unfortunately it doesn't seem to work out : I can't make the machine
booting on the Netinst Debian CD. Doing so only gives me an error message
"...Data Exception..." or something.
> >
> > Has anybody ever installed Debian on such a machine ? Any ideas ?
> >
> > Thanks !
> >
> > Filip
>
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