From mboxrd@z Thu Jan  1 00:00:00 1970
From: "Nigel Roles" <nigel@9fs.org>
To: 9fans@cse.psu.edu
Date: Wed, 27 Sep 2000 16:52:34 +0100
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Subject: Re: [9fans] Hardware for Plan 9 file server?
Message-ID: <39D225D2.31259.6C912AA0@localhost>
In-reply-to: <86vgvhq3yb.fsf@potato.vegetable.org.uk>
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> I tried to install plan9 on my intel box last night - got the floppy, stuck
> it in, reboot.
> It died horribly saying it couldn't find an FBdev, which I understand means
> it doesn't like my graphics card (ISTR it's an SiS 530 or something - I
> only got the box recently and haven't had time to commit that to memory
> yet!)
> 

Plan 9 cpu/authentication servers and terminals run basically the 
same kernel; whereas the file server runs an entirely different 
kernel. You would be installing a terminal kernel. This relies on
being able to get 8 bits per pixel, which is not a standard vga
setting, so one needs a driver for the extended features. The
current terminal kernel does not support any of the SIS on-board 
VGAs.

The fileserver does not use graphics so is happy with any
old vga, hence my comments. It may, however, be unhappy with
such chips as the sis530 which can be installed without any
frame buffer memory at all; it steals it from the main memory.
If the BIOS sets this up as the last N megs of memory, then we
are alright, since the fileserver kernel believes this BIOS statement
of available memory. If it puts it somewhere else, we're in trouble.
I write this because my fileserver uses just such a board, and I'm
a bit suspicious of a (single) crash I had recently. The XFree86
driver seems to take the BIOS'es word for it, suggesting my crash
was 'something else'.

Anyhow, if you want to run Plan 9 in all it's glory you'll need a
different VGA. Can you disable the onboard one? I suspect not.

> So... from a `%' prompt, how do I go about installing plan9?
> 

There is advice in the archives of 9fans on how to do this.