[9fans] Installing Plan9 on a DEC Alpha Workstation

[9fans] Installing Plan9 on a DEC Alpha Workstation

[devrin talen]

Hi,

I'm new to plan 9 but am interested in getting it running on an Alpha
600a workstation that currently runs Redhat 6. I was wondering where I
should look to get started, and if this will be feasible. I've checked
out the website and docs but still have a few questions:

* It seems that the live cd has only x86 binaries. Is there a version
for the Alpha architecture?
* Are there any known hardware issues with the Alpha port?

Thanks!

RE: [9fans] Installing Plan9 on a DEC Alpha Workstation

[Benjamin Huntsman]

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>Is there a version for the Alpha architecture?

Nope, at least not in binary form.  You'll have to get a working Plan 9 on x86 first, then compile it yourself.  Once your x86 Plan 9 is running, getting it to build the Alpha version is pretty simple.

Getting it to boot -your- AlphaStation might be a bit more difficult... :)

-----Original Message-----
From: 9fans-bounces+bhuntsman=mail2.cu-portland.edu@cse.psu.edu on behalf of devrin talen
Sent: Wed 2/13/2008 9:22 AM
To: 9fans@cse.psu.edu
Subject: [9fans] Installing Plan9 on a DEC Alpha Workstation
 
Hi,

I'm new to plan 9 but am interested in getting it running on an Alpha
600a workstation that currently runs Redhat 6. I was wondering where I
should look to get started, and if this will be feasible. I've checked
out the website and docs but still have a few questions:

* It seems that the live cd has only x86 binaries. Is there a version
for the Alpha architecture?
* Are there any known hardware issues with the Alpha port?

Thanks!


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RE: [9fans] Installing Plan9 on a DEC Alpha Workstation

[Steve Simon]

Plan9 did run on some alphas, its possible that somone may even still
run one - the 64 bit architecture was praised for keeping the code honest.

Check the 9fans archives (gatewayed to comp.os.plan9 which you can
search with google groups), and the wiki at plan9.bell-labs.com which
has a page on supported hardware.

-Steve

Re: [9fans] Installing Plan9 on a DEC Alpha Workstation

[Paweł Lasek]

On Feb 13, 2008 6:22 PM, devrin talen <jackfrost13@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I'm new to plan 9 but am interested in getting it running on an Alpha
> 600a workstation that currently runs Redhat 6. I was wondering where I
> should look to get started, and if this will be feasible. I've checked
> out the website and docs but still have a few questions:
>
> * It seems that the live cd has only x86 binaries. Is there a version
> for the Alpha architecture?
> * Are there any known hardware issues with the Alpha port?
>
> Thanks!
>

AS600 has an EV5 cpu, not an EV56, so IIRC you might have to clean up
some assembler code and add some assembler for drivers to work
properly without BWX instructions (This is also a problem for my
AS255). Plan9 supported Alpha only by netbooting and only as CPU
server, at least this is what I heard (full transcript could be found
in archives). In order to get alpha binaries you will have to
recompile the system on a machine with working Plan9 installation (VM
is fine too) and for starters you will probably need one configured to
work as fileserver with alpha binaries.

You can find most of required CPU docs on the net, also *BSD might be
a good place to look for details about hardware and SRM. If you are
lucky enough, you might find somewhere the developer kits for Alpha
hardware manufacturers, which contained PALcode and SRM sources (If
you find, share them - I doubt there would be copyright problems,
given how much time passed since Compaq killed Alpha for Itanic)

Unfortunately my time for working on Alpha port is really limited and
my AS is in need of parts (It's really hard to get parity FP simms
these day, at least here, and 48 MB is not enough). And also my main
priority is to get a newer VMS installed on it, so Plan9 will need to
wait even more.

An interesting thing to try for porting might be DS10, for which
someone has been writing an emulator - It would be nice to show a
working Plan9 network composed of only Alphas one day :-)
--
Paul Lasek

Re: [9fans] Installing Plan9 on a DEC Alpha Workstation

[Chris Collins]

Paweł Lasek wrote:
> Unfortunately my time for working on Alpha port is really limited and
> my AS is in need of parts (It's really hard to get parity FP simms
> these day, at least here, and 48 MB is not enough). And also my main
> priority is to get a newer VMS installed on it, so Plan9 will need to
> wait even more.
> 
> An interesting thing to try for porting might be DS10, for which
> someone has been writing an emulator - It would be nice to show a
> working Plan9 network composed of only Alphas one day :-)

I have AlphaStations in Sydney, Australia which are free to good homes. 
  A pile of AS200s and a very big pile of AS255s (I think - I'll have to 
check again).

I probably have enough to give at least one to everybody active on 
9fans. (I'm not kidding).

I have to get rid of them too.

E-mail me off-list if you're interested to negotiate transport/pickup.

I will also make it clear that I don't have time to pre-test to weed out 
broken units or to run around chasing couriers, so only if you're 
serious, thanks.

- Chris.

Re: [9fans] Installing Plan9 on a DEC Alpha Workstation

[john]

> Paweł Lasek wrote:
>> Unfortunately my time for working on Alpha port is really limited and
>> my AS is in need of parts (It's really hard to get parity FP simms
>> these day, at least here, and 48 MB is not enough). And also my main
>> priority is to get a newer VMS installed on it, so Plan9 will need to
>> wait even more.
>> 
>> An interesting thing to try for porting might be DS10, for which
>> someone has been writing an emulator - It would be nice to show a
>> working Plan9 network composed of only Alphas one day :-)
> 
> I have AlphaStations in Sydney, Australia which are free to good homes. 
>   A pile of AS200s and a very big pile of AS255s (I think - I'll have to 
> check again).
> 
> I probably have enough to give at least one to everybody active on 
> 9fans. (I'm not kidding).
> 
> I have to get rid of them too.
> 
> E-mail me off-list if you're interested to negotiate transport/pickup.
> 
> I will also make it clear that I don't have time to pre-test to weed out 
> broken units or to run around chasing couriers, so only if you're 
> serious, thanks.
> 
> - Chris.

Yes, people, please take them and work on the port... my AlphaStation
250 is lonely only running VMS.

John

RE: [9fans] Installing Plan9 on a DEC Alpha Workstation

[Benjamin Huntsman]

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> AS600 has an EV5 cpu, not an EV56, so IIRC you might have to clean up some assembler code and add some assembler for drivers to work properly without BWX instructions

Last time I tried, you can get Plan 9 to build with the -b flag to the compiler. (at least I think it's -b... there's definitely a "no-bwx" switch.)  I was able to get the bootloader working on my Multia, but couldn't get it to download the config file via my Mac OS X-hosted tftp server.  It'd at least get to that point, though...

I'm getting inspired to give it another try now that I've got an XP1000...




-----Original Message-----
From: 9fans-bounces+bhuntsman=mail2.cu-portland.edu@cse.psu.edu on behalf of john@csplan9.rit.edu
Sent: Wed 2/13/2008 2:58 PM
To: 9fans@cse.psu.edu
Subject: Re: [9fans] Installing Plan9 on a DEC Alpha Workstation
 
> Pawel Lasek wrote:
>> Unfortunately my time for working on Alpha port is really limited and
>> my AS is in need of parts (It's really hard to get parity FP simms
>> these day, at least here, and 48 MB is not enough). And also my main
>> priority is to get a newer VMS installed on it, so Plan9 will need to
>> wait even more.
>> 
>> An interesting thing to try for porting might be DS10, for which
>> someone has been writing an emulator - It would be nice to show a
>> working Plan9 network composed of only Alphas one day :-)
> 
> I have AlphaStations in Sydney, Australia which are free to good homes. 
>   A pile of AS200s and a very big pile of AS255s (I think - I'll have to 
> check again).
> 
> I probably have enough to give at least one to everybody active on 
> 9fans. (I'm not kidding).
> 
> I have to get rid of them too.
> 
> E-mail me off-list if you're interested to negotiate transport/pickup.
> 
> I will also make it clear that I don't have time to pre-test to weed out 
> broken units or to run around chasing couriers, so only if you're 
> serious, thanks.
> 
> - Chris.

Yes, people, please take them and work on the port... my AlphaStation
250 is lonely only running VMS.

John



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Re: [9fans] Installing Plan9 on a DEC Alpha Workstation

[Iruata Souza]

On Wed, Feb 13, 2008 at 9:05 PM, Benjamin Huntsman
<BHuntsman@mail2.cu-portland.edu> wrote:
> > AS600 has an EV5 cpu, not an EV56, so IIRC you might have to clean up some assembler code and add some assembler for drivers to work properly without BWX instructions
>
>  Last time I tried, you can get Plan 9 to build with the -b flag to the compiler. (at least I think it's -b... there's definitely a "no-bwx" switch.)  I was able to get the bootloader working on my Multia, but couldn't get it to download the config file via my Mac OS X-hosted tftp server.  It'd at least get to that point, though...
>
>  I'm getting inspired to give it another try now that I've got an XP1000...
>

the switch is -x.
I have an AlphaServer 2100A running VMS too. It would be really nice
to run Plan 9 on it.

iru

Re: [9fans] Installing Plan9 on a DEC Alpha Workstation

[LiteStar numnums]

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I'm a bit behind, but if anyone in the Tri-State region is looking for
machines, please email me off list. I've an odd collection of Suns, Alphas,
& Macs that I'd be willing to part with. Oh, and a 12u PII Xeon with 2 or 4
cpus.

On Feb 14, 2008 9:24 AM, Iruata Souza <iru.muzgo@gmail.com> wrote:

> On Wed, Feb 13, 2008 at 9:05 PM, Benjamin Huntsman
> <BHuntsman@mail2.cu-portland.edu> wrote:
> > > AS600 has an EV5 cpu, not an EV56, so IIRC you might have to clean up
> some assembler code and add some assembler for drivers to work properly
> without BWX instructions
> >
> >  Last time I tried, you can get Plan 9 to build with the -b flag to the
> compiler. (at least I think it's -b... there's definitely a "no-bwx"
> switch.)  I was able to get the bootloader working on my Multia, but
> couldn't get it to download the config file via my Mac OS X-hosted tftp
> server.  It'd at least get to that point, though...
> >
> >  I'm getting inspired to give it another try now that I've got an
> XP1000...
> >
>
> the switch is -x.
> I have an AlphaServer 2100A running VMS too. It would be really nice
> to run Plan 9 on it.
>
> iru
>



--
   "By cosmic rule, as day yields night, so winter summer, war peace, plenty
famine. All things change. Air penetrates the lump of myrrh, until the
joining bodies die and rise again in smoke called incense."

   "Men do not know how that which is drawn in different directions
harmonises with itself. The harmonious structure of the world depends upon
opposite tension like that of the bow and the lyre."

   "This universe, which is the same for all, has not been made by any god
or man, but it always has been, is, and will be an ever-living fire,
kindling itself by regular measures and going out by regular measures"
-- Heraclitus

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