From owner-freebsd-alpha@FreeBSD.ORG Tue Jul 3 22:09:26 2007 Return-Path: X-Original-To: freebsd-alpha@FreeBSD.org Delivered-To: freebsd-alpha@FreeBSD.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [69.147.83.52]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 3C4D416A46B for ; Tue, 3 Jul 2007 22:09:26 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from richardlo@admin.athabascau.ca) Received: from smtp.athabascau.ca (smtp.athabascau.ca [131.232.10.21]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 0B14813C45D for ; Tue, 3 Jul 2007 22:09:25 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from richardlo@admin.athabascau.ca) Received: from CONVERSION-DAEMON.local.athabascau.ca by local.athabascau.ca (PMDF V6.2-1x12 #31242) id <0JKM0SJ01G18EK@local.athabascau.ca> for freebsd-alpha@FreeBSD.org; Tue, 03 Jul 2007 15:07:57 -0600 (MDT) Received: from audba.admin.athabascau.ca ([131.232.4.21]) by local.athabascau.ca (PMDF V6.2-1x12 #31242) with ESMTP id <0JKM0SHGXG18KR@local.athabascau.ca>; Tue, 03 Jul 2007 15:07:56 -0600 (MDT) Received: from local.admin.athabascau.ca by local.admin.athabascau.ca (PMDF V6.3-x3 #31462) id <01MIIR323WWU0000FB@local.admin.athabascau.ca>; Tue, 03 Jul 2007 15:07:56 -0700 Date: Tue, 03 Jul 2007 15:07:55 -0700 From: Richard Loken In-reply-to: Sender: richardlo@admin.athabascau.ca To: Kevin Ogden Message-id: X-Envelope-from: richardlo@admin.athabascau.ca MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII X-Please-Resend: yes Cc: freebsd-alpha@FreeBSD.org Subject: Re: AlphaServer 4100 LCD 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: Tue, 03 Jul 2007 22:09:26 -0000 On Tue, 3 Jul 2007, Kevin Ogden wrote: > Is there any easy way to write anything to the built-in LCD on the > AlphaServer 4x00? I was thinking of trying to write a script to display > uptime/load averages/etc. Any sysctl variables or anything? >From "Alphaserver 4100 System Drawer User's Guide" (sigh) on page 5-48 >>> set ocp_text "message" the message can be up to 16 characters long and will be displayed after all the self tests and diagnostics are out of the way. The change does not take place until the machine is reset or initialized. > Another question, is there really that much of a lack of interest in keeping > alpha support going? This box is still a capable server and I really don't > want to run Linux or Tru64 once FreeBSD 6 becomes stale. Those FreeBSD guys are so fickle, give them a bunch of $500.00 3GHz 64bit Intel platforms and they abandon all my favourite big footprint power hogs. I told my FreeBSD buddies that I have been abandoned by FreeBSD and so I was going to put OpenVMS on my various Alpha boxes and all they could do was glumly nod. I was also told how cheaply I could buy AMD 64 bit processors but they didn't have their heart in because they know I don't run current or popular hardware no matter how sensible that might be. OpenVMS is the drug of choice. Linux on Alpha is not so great and HP has abandoned Tru64. HP is stuck with continuing development on Alpha OpenVMS for getting on to ten years and you can get hobby and educational licenses for free. HP has recent versions of Mozilla and the Java Runtime Environment available for OpenVMS version 7.3-1 and later so that puts me a step up from what I can do with FreeBSD and Linux on Alpha at this time. Since there is a Java for VMS maybe Open Office can be ported over there. -- Richard Loken VE6BSV, Systems Programmer - VMS : "Anybody can be a father Athabasca University : but you have to earn Athabasca, Alberta Canada : the title of 'daddy'" ** richardlo@admin.athabascau.ca ** : - Lynn Johnston