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Date:      Mon, 14 May 2001 15:24:21 +0100
From:      "Michael A. Smith" <msmith@code-fu.com>
To:        <freebsd-alpha@FreeBSD.ORG>
Subject:   Re: 500au
Message-ID:  <5.0.2.1.2.20010514151609.00a6dc48@www.maiatech.com>
In-Reply-To: <Pine.NEB.4.33.0105140936330.8478-100000@nikita.fi.infn.it>
References:  <Pine.LNX.4.21.0105131201020.2835-100000@local.localhost>

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At 09:42 2001-05-14 +0200, Riccardo.Veraldi@fi.infn.it wrote:
>I saw a offer a good one about 500a (NOT 500au)
>is the 500a model supported very well ??
>I mean if I have a scsi board adaptec or QLogic PCI boards
>will it work with freebsd ??
>I mean is the a model as good as the au models running FreeBSD or might I
>have lotsa problems ??

I can't give you a FreeBSD answer (I know...), but I can shed some light on 
the situation from a Linux perspective (running SRM).

I bought a PWS433a on ebay to run Linux. I checked the digital/Compaq sites 
to get old manuals, etc... (very good resources to be had). I upgraded the 
BIOS to the latest version of SRM for the machine.

The "a" models (433a, 500a, 600a) are a tiny bit different from the "au" 
models. They have Adaptec SCSI boards (from which you cannot boot via SRM) 
PLUS the motherboard layouts are a bit different. They *are* physically 
different machines.

I swapped my Adaptec SCSI with a Tekram SCSI board that SRM recognizes. I 
also pulled the weird two-slot video card and replaced it with an old 
Matrox Millenium II I had lying about. Then I installed Linux.

I've not had a single problem. The SRM even identifies the machine as a 
433au now (even though it's not). I've had great luck with the machine.

Good luck!

--
  "When a man is tired of London he is tired of life; for there
   is in London all that life can afford." -- Samuel Johnson
--
Michael A. Smith <msmith@code-fu.com>


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