Re: [9fans] Hardware for Plan 9 file server?

Re: [9fans] Hardware for Plan 9 file server?

[jmk]

Ish Rattan <ishwar@pali.cps.cmich.edu>:
	1. Do the following network cards in server?
	   - Intel Ether Express PRO/100+ PCI (controller i82559)
	   - 3Com Fast EtherLink XL 10/100 (3C905C-TX-M)
	   - Is EtherLink III an ISA card(?) same as 3C905B-TP?

As it stands, the distribution will only cope with the i82259 or the
Etherlink III ISA card (which is NOT the same as the 905B).
There are fixes for the 905x cards coming in the next update. However,
someone has had persistent trouble with the 905C which I have not
been able to reproduce.

--jim

Re: [9fans] Hardware for Plan 9 file server?

[Douglas A. Gwyn]

jmk@plan9.bell-labs.com wrote:
> someone has had persistent trouble with the 905C which I have not
> been able to reproduce.

I'm upgrading to a PCI-only system and have a new 905C card
to replace my old 509B.  If you have some experimental code
you want me to test on my new system feel free to send it.

Re: [9fans] Hardware for Plan 9 file server?

[Tim Haynes]

anothy@eden.rutgers.edu (Anthony Sorace) writes:

> //how do I resume the installation process from that % prompt?
> 
> if you can get the 9fans/comp.os.plan9 archives, there's complete
> instructions there somewhere. i got lucky enough to only need to edit
> vgadb, so i've no first-hand experience with it. if i recall correctly,
> the steps were: (1) create partitions, using disk/fdisk (2) create Plan 9
> partitions in that new partition, using disk/prep, (3) format that Plan 9
> partition, adding an appropriate boot sector, using disk/format, then (4)
> unpack the distribution file, using wrap/inst. technicly, the man pages
> for these give you all you need to know, but i'd advise going through the
> archives for more detailed instructions. 

Cool. Thanks, I've made a note of that lot and the URL the other chap
posted as well. I guess I've got a bit of reading to be doing, then. :8)

~Tim
-- 
Sometimes you're the pigeon,                    | piglet@glutinous.custard.org
Sometimes you're the statue.                    | http://piglet.is.dreaming.org

Re: [9fans] Hardware for Plan 9 file server?

[Douglas A. Gwyn]

Ish Rattan wrote:
> 2. Is ATI Xpert 128 supported now? Xpert 98 series is hard
>    find (Based on ATI 3D Rage Pro).

The local CompUSA has a few dozen Xpert 98s,
which may be worth stocking up on.  Of course
the RADEON is out now, Xpert 128 is obsolete
(and behind in coming out with updated drivers
for the Windows platforms).

Re: [9fans] Hardware for Plan 9 file server?

[okamoto]

Thanks, Charles!

I replaced Alef version of newsdb by its news thread version,
and it's working fine here.

I did not intended to force you to do this, because I know you are
very busy now...

Kenji

Re: [9fans] Hardware for Plan 9 file server?

[forsyth]

[-- Attachment #1: Type: text/plain, Size: 423 bytes --]

i've sent kenji the translated program.  it would be cleaner with 9p.h but i haven't
had a chance to do it yet.  lib9p would replace a significant chunk of the program,
since it serves a handful of files
	ctl	management
	lock	blocks updates to allow external programs to mess with state
	msgid	looks up lines in history file given msgid
	post	accepts one or more articles for posting, separated by 0 length writes


[-- Attachment #2: Type: message/rfc822, Size: 1573 bytes --]

From: "Russ Cox" <rsc@plan9.bell-labs.com>
To: 9fans@cse.psu.edu
Subject: Re: [9fans] Hardware for Plan 9 file server?
Date: Wed, 27 Sep 2000 21:04:15 -0400
Message-ID: <20000928010423.C81A819A26@mail>

I don't understand why you needed lib9p for it.
Presumably it would translate more directly using
whatever the Alef program used, probably just the
convS2M and convM2S routines.

Russ

Re: [9fans] Hardware for Plan 9 file server?

[okamoto]

>I don't understand why you needed lib9p for it.

I wrote my previous mail to describe my opinion why NNTP server 
is not there for Plan 9.  It may concernes with why DBMS is still not 
there for Plan 9, because NNTP server deals with a large database, 
and it is a file server as read from its name. :-)

Then, I recommended someone who has skills  try to do it, and it
must be an important work for all of us, not only for NNTP server 
itself.

Therefore, I thought this problem is not merely to port Alef to
something, and it should not be my task.

Kenji

Re: [9fans] Hardware for Plan 9 file server?

[Russ Cox]

I don't understand why you needed lib9p for it.
Presumably it would translate more directly using
whatever the Alef program used, probably just the
convS2M and convM2S routines.

Russ

Re: [9fans] Hardware for Plan 9 file server?

[okamoto]

>the big "but" in your question is the "news-server" bit. there's currently
>no NNTP service in Plan 9 (unless someone's done one i don't know about).

Actually, I'm reading net news and using NNTP server here on our
Plan 9 system.  However, this is not public now, and needs Release 2
license because it uses Alef which was written by Charles a few
years ago.

I tried to port it to thread library and 9p(2), but was rejected by some
reasons.   The most big one was 9P(2) which was too difficult to
understand it deep.   Furthermore, I'm now doing another project.  
If someone will try it, s/he will get good understanding and skill  
to deal with database  and 9P file service protocol on Plan 9.

Kenji

Re: [9fans] Hardware for Plan 9 file server?

[Anthony Sorace]

//how do I resume the installation process from that % prompt?

if you can get the 9fans/comp.os.plan9 archives, there's complete
instructions there somewhere. i got lucky enough to only need to

Re: [9fans] Hardware for Plan 9 file server?

[Scott Schwartz]

> if you can get the 9fans/comp.os.plan9 archives,

Currently available from
 http://lists.cse.psu.edu/archives/9fans/                                                

Re: [9fans] Hardware for Plan 9 file server?

[Anthony Sorace]

//how do I resume the installation process from that % prompt?

if you can get the 9fans/comp.os.plan9 archives, there's complete
instructions there somewhere. i got lucky enough to only need to
edit vgadb, so i've no first-hand experience with it. if i recall
correctly, the steps were: (1) create partitions, using
disk/fdisk (2) create Plan 9 partitions in that new partition,
using disk/prep, (3) format that Plan 9 partition, adding an
appropriate boot sector, using disk/format, then (4) unpack the
distribution file, using wrap/inst. technicly, the man pages for
these give you all you need to know, but i'd advise going through
the archives for more detailed instructions.
: anothy;

Re: [9fans] Hardware for Plan 9 file server?

[Tim Haynes]

anothy@eden.rutgers.edu (Anthony Sorace) writes:

> //how suited is it, not only to file-serving, but being a nameserver and
> //news-server and web-server in a predominantly linux(/ppc) environment?
> 
> quite. i've run 3rd ed boxes in heterogeneous environments, with Linux
> and Win32 clients using it as a DNS and SMTP server, also running web
> service.  the big "but" in your question is the "news-server"
> bit. there's currently no NNTP service in Plan 9 (unless someone's done
> one i don't know about).  i imagine it wouldn't be too tough, but it's
> just not there yet.

OK, "it's only news" ;)

The question is then, how do I resume the installation process from that %
prompt? Or get a text-mode installation, by fair means or foul?

(I did actually have a go with Plan9 about 3-4 months ago, and had it
installed & booting on another box. Unfortunately that machine is now
deceased and its replacement's video card is unrecognized.)

> the fact that linux is running on ppc hardware shouldn't be an issue, but
> if you expect to run Plan 9 on it, you've got some work ahead of you.

That's ok; porting to PPC and triple-booting with MacOS and Debian is not
as high on the list of things-to-play-with as getting a replacement for the
server on intel.

Thanks!

~Tim
-- 
Can you tell me how to get,                     | piglet@glutinous.custard.org
How to get to Sesame Street?                    | http://piglet.is.dreaming.org

Re: [9fans] Hardware for Plan 9 file server?

[Nigel Roles]

 
> 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.

Re: [9fans] Hardware for Plan 9 file server?

[Anthony Sorace]

//how suited is it, not only to file-serving, but being a nameserver and
//news-server and web-server in a predominantly linux(/ppc) environment?

quite. i've run 3rd ed boxes in heterogeneous environments, with Linux and
Win32 clients using it as a DNS and SMTP server, also running web service.
the big "but" in your question is the "news-server" bit. there's currently
no NNTP service in Plan 9 (unless someone's done one i don't know about).
i imagine it wouldn't be too tough, but it's just not there yet.

i had the same box (or set of boxes) serving NFS to various Unix clients.
the fact that linux is running on ppc hardware shouldn't be an issue, but
if you expect to run Plan 9 on it, you've got some work ahead of you.
: anothy;

Re: [9fans] Hardware for Plan 9 file server?

[Tim Haynes]

nigel@9fs.org (Nigel Roles) writes:

> It's a trick question! The fileserver has no graphics interface.
> Anything which is cga compatible will do.
[snip]

Hmmm. I'm in the very embarassing position of being a total newbie re:
plan9. (Embarassing because I know my way around a few other OSs relatively
well... ;) So <disclaimer> this is probably a very silly question
</disclaimer>. 

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!)

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

And a more general question: how suited is it, not only to file-serving,
but being a nameserver and news-server and web-server in a predominantly
linux(/ppc) environment?

Pointers to _very_ explicit FAQs / hold-your-mouse-as-you-install docs
welcome!

Ta,

~Tim
-- 
With the spirits of the mighty                  | piglet@glutinous.custard.org
A shadow rushes through the grasslands          | http://piglet.is.dreaming.org
To the dying sun                                |

Re: [9fans] Hardware for Plan 9 file server?

[Nigel Roles]

It's a trick question! The fileserver has no graphics interface.
Anything which is cga compatible will do.

> On Wed, Sep 27, 2000 at 08:58:11AM -0400, Ish Rattan wrote:
> > 
> > I am trying to make a list of parts to install the server. I have
> > looked at supported hardware list but still would like to ask a
> > few questions.
> > 
> > 
> > 2. Is ATI Xpert 128 supported now? Xpert 98 series is hard
> >    find (Based on ATI 3D Rage Pro).
> > 
> 
> I recently got an Xpert98 from MWave for my new system.  I just
> checked and they still list them as available.  The MWave URL is
> <http://192.216.185.10/mwave/Index.hmx?>.
> 
> 

Re: [9fans] Hardware for Plan 9 file server?

[Jon Snader]

On Wed, Sep 27, 2000 at 08:58:11AM -0400, Ish Rattan wrote:
> 
> I am trying to make a list of parts to install the server. I have
> looked at supported hardware list but still would like to ask a
> few questions.
> 
> 
> 2. Is ATI Xpert 128 supported now? Xpert 98 series is hard
>    find (Based on ATI 3D Rage Pro).
> 

I recently got an Xpert98 from MWave for my new system.  I just
checked and they still list them as available.  The MWave URL is
<http://192.216.185.10/mwave/Index.hmx?>.


Jon Snader

[9fans] Hardware for Plan 9 file server?

[Ish Rattan]

I am trying to make a list of parts to install the server. I have
looked at supported hardware list but still would like to ask a
few questions.

1. Do the following network cards in server?
   - Intel Ether Express PRO/100+ PCI (controller i82559)
   - 3Com Fast EtherLink XL 10/100 (3C905C-TX-M)
   - Is EtherLink III an ISA card(?) same as 3C905B-TP?

2. Is ATI Xpert 128 supported now? Xpert 98 series is hard
   find (Based on ATI 3D Rage Pro).

3. Does Tekram DC-390U2W SCSI card work?

Thanks in advance,
- ishwar