From owner-freebsd-alpha@FreeBSD.ORG Sat Jan 3 20:44:43 2009 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-alpha@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id A26841065670 for ; Sat, 3 Jan 2009 20:44:43 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from mattst88@gmail.com) Received: from mail-ew0-f21.google.com (mail-ew0-f21.google.com [209.85.219.21]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 13B2E8FC08 for ; Sat, 3 Jan 2009 20:44:42 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from mattst88@gmail.com) Received: by ewy14 with SMTP id 14so8152560ewy.19 for ; Sat, 03 Jan 2009 12:44:42 -0800 (PST) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=domainkey-signature:received:received:message-id:date:from:to :subject:mime-version:content-type:content-transfer-encoding :content-disposition; bh=ewOO8B8IbBYqwofQvFL7e+9nF+/zNwz1beuwZ4DUkSg=; b=fH8cqyuCvf0r2mByROFkA003RziiGZoTjZwYnOBGEB4UjY2GJ/faSPVGATZkH4OxT4 1F8OiYl20p6i8pf9VYQPGjXp81XAapGqp/8JMUsncAmyWBPu2WiHL8fW4kp9WwhAfOI/ EmytwtxBlUzLZzZbkmAaZyMHu89MnN61bM3a0= DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; c=nofws; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=message-id:date:from:to:subject:mime-version:content-type :content-transfer-encoding:content-disposition; b=f22EcGcDrsmDIvObwC2DlNUDdFmdsmq+GKWZVPi08zX/9R5K93dGfc8I5aKyDz+0LV sAV2bMJ0iHfSs8uYDQG1DuK49MV4veJzbxn+M6fjeP5ccQkHhmqTw9tU17wd9h7pNhyB QSlFelU8aKYK+VpgXgm0QPOeCpNsObWfeZ5fw= Received: by 10.210.120.17 with SMTP id s17mr22433487ebc.54.1231014133308; Sat, 03 Jan 2009 12:22:13 -0800 (PST) Received: by 10.210.89.15 with HTTP; Sat, 3 Jan 2009 12:22:13 -0800 (PST) Message-ID: Date: Sat, 3 Jan 2009 15:22:13 -0500 From: "Matt Turner" To: freebsd-alpha@freebsd.org MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline Subject: Looking for Alpha-interested users and developers X-BeenThere: freebsd-alpha@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Porting FreeBSD to the Alpha List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sat, 03 Jan 2009 20:44:43 -0000 Hi, Though I don't know the history and the reasons, I'm sad to see FreeBSD dropping Alpha support. What I do know is that there is still Alpha hardware in use. Alpha fans are still working in places to fix bugs and bring new software to the platform. Recently, I've been trying to build the Alpha/Linux community once again. One way that I've done this was to import Alpha hardware from Japan to distribute to interested users in North America and Europe. Another way is by encouraging people to join the #alpha IRC channel on Freenode. Finally, I've set up a Wiki at AlphaLinux.Org [1] that is always in need of more content. I wrote a couple of articles [2] describing some of the problems we're facing with Alpha, some specific to Linux. I hope this email reaches some people who are still interested in Alpha and would like to see theirs live on. So, in short: 1) Join the IRC channel 2) Contribute whatever you can to the Wiki (specifically pictures of Alpha systems and motherboards [3]) 3) Take a look at some of the problems in front of us and help find a solution This isn't meant as an advertisement for Linux, but a sincere plea for help and support from fellow open source developers and Alpha fans. Thanks, Matt Turner [1] http://alphalinux.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page [2] Status of X11 on Alpha - http://mattst88.com/blog/?dd=12&mm=12&yyyy=2008 The State of Alpha Linux - http://mattst88.com/blog/?dd=14&mm=12&yyyy=2008 [3] Looking for pictures of motherboards http://www.redhat.com/archives/axp-list/2009-January/msg00000.html