From owner-freebsd-ppc@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Jun 11 00:23:22 2010 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-ppc@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id B58641065673 for ; Fri, 11 Jun 2010 00:23:22 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from paul@gromit.dlib.vt.edu) Received: from lennier.cc.vt.edu (lennier.cc.vt.edu [198.82.162.213]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 6A9AC8FC20 for ; Fri, 11 Jun 2010 00:23:21 +0000 (UTC) Received: from zidane.cc.vt.edu (zidane.cc.vt.edu [198.82.163.227]) by lennier.cc.vt.edu (8.13.8/8.13.8) with ESMTP id o5AIKS5S005070 for ; Thu, 10 Jun 2010 14:20:28 -0400 Received: from auth3.smtp.vt.edu (EHLO auth3.smtp.vt.edu) ([198.82.161.152]) by zidane.cc.vt.edu (MOS 4.1.8-GA FastPath queued) with ESMTP id INH51917; Thu, 10 Jun 2010 14:20:28 -0400 (EDT) Received: from gromit.tower.lib.vt.edu (gromit.tower.lib.vt.edu [128.173.51.22]) (authenticated bits=0) by auth3.smtp.vt.edu (8.13.8/8.13.8) with ESMTP id o5AIKSLP030233 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=AES128-SHA bits=128 verify=NO) for ; Thu, 10 Jun 2010 14:20:28 -0400 From: Paul Mather Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Date: Thu, 10 Jun 2010 14:20:27 -0400 Message-Id: To: freebsd-ppc@freebsd.org Mime-Version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v1078) X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.1078) X-Mirapoint-Received-SPF: 198.82.161.152 auth3.smtp.vt.edu paul@gromit.dlib.vt.edu 5 none X-Mirapoint-IP-Reputation: reputation=neutral-1, source=Fixed, refid=n/a, actions=MAILHURDLE SPF TAG X-Junkmail-Info: (0) X-Junkmail-Status: score=10/50, host=zidane.cc.vt.edu X-Junkmail-SD-Raw: score=unknown, refid=str=0001.0A02020A.4C112CEC.01E0,ss=1,fgs=0, ip=0.0.0.0, so=2009-09-22 00:05:22, dmn=2009-09-10 00:05:08, mode=multiengine X-Junkmail-IWF: false Subject: Current support for Xserve G5 X-BeenThere: freebsd-ppc@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Porting FreeBSD to the PowerPC List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2010 00:23:22 -0000 In our lab we have two Xserve G5 servers. We'd like to keep using = these, but, because of EOL issues with Mac OS X, I am looking for an = Open Source replacement. My preference is for *BSD---preferably FreeBSD = or NetBSD. When I looked a while ago, it seemed that the Xserve G5 was = either not supported or not very functional under these two OSes. = (NetBSD, for example, had no support for the onboard SATA controller and = so could only run diskless via netbooting.) I just looked at the FreeBSD/ppc project Web page and was happy to see = the Apple Xserve G5 as reported as running for FreeBSD 8.1. Can anyone = tell me whether this runs fully for the stock Xserve G5 hardware, or = does it have some serious limitations to deployment, as mentioned for = NetBSD above? The Xserve G5 hardware we have is as follows: Machine Model: Xserve G5 CPU Type: PowerPC G5 (3.0) Number of CPUs: 2 CPU Speed: 2.3 GHz L2 Cache (per CPU): 512 KB Memory: 4 GB Bus Speed: 1.15 GHz Boot ROM Version: 5.1.7f2 This appears to be same specification as described at this Web page: = http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/xserve/stats/xserve_g5_2.3_dp.html Assuming this hardware is fully supported, I'd be looking to do a clean = install of FreeBSD onto it (replacing Mac OS X). I looked at the ISO = install instructions at the FreeBSD/ppc project Web page but they are = written for "FreeBSD/PPC 6.0-RELEASE install.iso" and state right at the = top that G5 is not supported. Hence, they don't offer any advice = regarding installing onto a headless, keyboardless Xserve G5. :-) Does anyone have any more up-to-date instructions? I've run -CURRENT on = NetBSD/alpha, NetBSD/pmax, and FreeBSD/i386 before, so running on the = bleeding edge is within my comfort zone. Cheers, Paul. PS: If it turns out that FreeBSD is not well-supported on the Xserve G5 = but you know of some other Open Source OS that is, please chime in with = suggestions.=