From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 MIME-Version: 1.0 Date: Tue, 2 Nov 2010 07:51:23 -0700 Message-ID: From: David Leimbach To: Fans of the OS Plan 9 from Bell Labs <9fans@9fans.net> Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary=0016e644df4afedee60494130eba Subject: [9fans] Preferred ARM platform? Topicbox-Message-UUID: 74ea2646-ead6-11e9-9d60-3106f5b1d025 --0016e644df4afedee60494130eba Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 I've been having a pretty good experience with the Guruplug with Plan 9 (I have the "standard" model that doesn't overheat so far and only one Gb ethernet), thanks to the efforts of the Plan 9 and Inferno communities. Unless I read incorrectly, the Beagleboard platforms are easier to work with for Plan 9 developers, as Marvell believes having done a port to linux is enough documentation for anyone. Is this still the case, and if so, would we be better off with Beagleboard machines? I'm just curious as to what's believed to be sustainable in the long term, and think these ARM platforms are just swell (gee golly) despite the headaches getting stuff ported, especially when they run a sane OS like Plan 9/Inferno. Dave --0016e644df4afedee60494130eba Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I've been having a pretty good experience with the Guruplug with Plan 9= (I have the "standard" model that doesn't overheat so far an= d only one Gb ethernet), thanks to the efforts of the Plan 9 and Inferno co= mmunities.

Unless I read incorrectly, the Beagleboard platforms are eas= ier to work with for Plan 9 developers, as Marvell believes having done a p= ort to linux is enough documentation for anyone. =A0Is this still the case,= and if so, would we be better off with Beagleboard machines?

I'm just curious as to what's believed to be su= stainable in the long term, and think these ARM platforms are just swell (g= ee golly) despite the headaches getting stuff ported, especially when they = run a sane OS like Plan 9/Inferno.

Dave
--0016e644df4afedee60494130eba-- From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 MIME-Version: 1.0 In-Reply-To: References: Date: Tue, 2 Nov 2010 11:42:09 -0400 Message-ID: From: Jacob Todd To: Fans of the OS Plan 9 from Bell Labs <9fans@9fans.net> Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary=001636c5a971915d6e049413c4d7 Subject: Re: [9fans] Preferred ARM platform? Topicbox-Message-UUID: 74f083c4-ead6-11e9-9d60-3106f5b1d025 --001636c5a971915d6e049413c4d7 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Iirc, at iwp9 geoff said in so many words that the beagleboard was having problems with undocumented..stuff. The video is on livestream.com/iwp9 if you want to watch it. --001636c5a971915d6e049413c4d7 Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8

Iirc, at iwp9 geoff said in so many words that the beagleboard was having problems with undocumented..stuff. The video is on livestream.com/iwp9 if you want to watch it.

--001636c5a971915d6e049413c4d7-- From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 MIME-Version: 1.0 In-Reply-To: References: Date: Tue, 2 Nov 2010 10:26:23 -0700 Message-ID: From: Nick LaForge To: Fans of the OS Plan 9 from Bell Labs <9fans@9fans.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Subject: Re: [9fans] Preferred ARM platform? Topicbox-Message-UUID: 752f4e38-ead6-11e9-9d60-3106f5b1d025 Beagleboard's ethernet hogs the usb bus! Gumstix has a proper ethernet. Nick On 11/2/10, Jacob Todd wrote: > Iirc, at iwp9 geoff said in so many words that the beagleboard was having > problems with undocumented..stuff. The video is on livestream.com/iwp9 if > you want to watch it. > From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Message-ID: Date: Tue, 2 Nov 2010 14:05:47 -0400 From: geoff@plan9.bell-labs.com To: 9fans@9fans.net In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Subject: Re: [9fans] Preferred ARM platform? Topicbox-Message-UUID: 75436602-ead6-11e9-9d60-3106f5b1d025 As far as I know, there isn't yet a good, inexpensive, well-documented ARM system. I tend to prefer the Marvell Kirkwood systems (the plugs) because they have faster processors, faster and smarter Ethernet controllers, and somewhat simpler SoCs than the TI OMAP3 systems (beagle, igep, gumstix). On the other hand, the video controller on the openrd is effectively undocumented and the guruplug display isn't yet available. The beagleboard is a mistake: its lack of real Ethernet is a major failing, plus we haven't been able to get OMAP USB (EHCI) to work yet, so one can't even use the kludge of USB Ethernet. We have video working on the gumstix, but without working USB, there's no way to attach a local keyboard or mouse. From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: erik quanstrom Date: Tue, 2 Nov 2010 14:11:39 -0400 To: 9fans@9fans.net Message-ID: In-Reply-To: References: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Subject: Re: [9fans] Preferred ARM platform? Topicbox-Message-UUID: 75b3c4d8-ead6-11e9-9d60-3106f5b1d025 > As far as I know, there isn't yet a good, inexpensive, well-documented > ARM system. pick any two! ;-) - erik From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 MIME-Version: 1.0 In-Reply-To: References: Date: Tue, 2 Nov 2010 12:19:30 -0700 Message-ID: From: Nick LaForge To: Fans of the OS Plan 9 from Bell Labs <9fans@9fans.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Subject: Re: [9fans] Preferred ARM platform? Topicbox-Message-UUID: 75e0e53a-ead6-11e9-9d60-3106f5b1d025 >> As far as I know, there isn't yet a good, inexpensive, well-documented >> ARM system. > pick any two! ;-) "Between two evils, choose neither, between two goods, choose both." -- Tryon Edwards A nice quote from a nice book on distributed systems [*] Need I quote another distributed systems expert, Jim Choate? The choice only comes up if you feel the need to build a PC out of a bunch of Plan9s instead of a Plan9 out of a bunch of PCs. Do we really need the thing to do video? Although it would be nice. I punted on this anyway by buying a Startech usb2 vga device. Now "all" I need is dma with a decent usb pipe, and a port of the linux driver. [*] Garg, V. "Elements of Distributed Computing" Nick From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Message-ID: Date: Tue, 2 Nov 2010 15:31:04 -0400 From: geoff@plan9.bell-labs.com To: 9fans@9fans.net In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Subject: Re: [9fans] Preferred ARM platform? Topicbox-Message-UUID: 75e86544-ead6-11e9-9d60-3106f5b1d025 The plugs make fine servers but there is also interest in a small, portable terminal that boots quickly. From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 MIME-Version: 1.0 In-Reply-To: References: Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2011 22:04:06 +0200 Message-ID: From: Yaroslav To: Fans of the OS Plan 9 from Bell Labs <9fans@9fans.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Subject: Re: [9fans] Preferred ARM platform? Topicbox-Message-UUID: ae5ac91c-ead6-11e9-9d60-3106f5b1d025 is there some progress with creation of a Perfect Arm Terminal? 2010/11/2 : > The plugs make fine servers but there is also interest in > a small, portable terminal that boots quickly. From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 MIME-Version: 1.0 In-Reply-To: References: Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2011 12:25:40 -0800 Message-ID: From: ron minnich To: Fans of the OS Plan 9 from Bell Labs <9fans@9fans.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Subject: Re: [9fans] Preferred ARM platform? Topicbox-Message-UUID: ae60b9f8-ead6-11e9-9d60-3106f5b1d025 On Mon, Feb 14, 2011 at 12:04 PM, Yaroslav wrote: > is there some progress with creation of a Perfect Arm Terminal? To me, the gumstix is still it. I booted the new omap kernel the other day and noticed all the neat video messages! When I get back I'm going to try it out with a display :-) ron From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Message-ID: Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2011 19:06:18 -0500 From: geoff@plan9.bell-labs.com To: 9fans@9fans.net In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Subject: Re: [9fans] Preferred ARM platform? Topicbox-Message-UUID: ae85f27c-ead6-11e9-9d60-3106f5b1d025 The problem with the gumstix as a terminal is that nobody has yet been able to figure why its USB doesn't work, so though you can get video, it's hard to provide mouse and keyboard. Plus Gumstix still don't seem to be selling the aluminum case, so it's a bit delicate to lug around the world with you. The Guruplug Display, on the other hand, isn't an OMAP SoC, comes with a case, has working USB, and simple 2D video seems to be documented adequately (or nearly so). I don't have anything further to report yet, but work is ongoing.