Date: Tue, 22 Jul 1997 15:12:41 -0700 (MST) From: Terry Lambert <terry@lambert.org> To: cjs@portal.ca (Curt Sampson) Cc: terry@lambert.org, dfr@nlsystems.com, alpha@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Its arrived Message-ID: <199707222212.PAA14230@phaeton.artisoft.com> In-Reply-To: <Pine.NEB.3.96.970722150246.15569G-100000@cynic.portal.ca> from "Curt Sampson" at Jul 22, 97 03:03:41 pm
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> > I installed the Linux/Alpha microcode diskette on my Alpha when I > > first got it from OnSale (several months ago). It was required > > for NetBSD. > > I'd be very suprised if the Linux PALcode works with NetBSD. NetBSD > requires the Digital Unix/VMS PALcode. VMS? Not OSF? As far as I know, there is only OSF and NT. Linux requires the OSF. The version of the OSF PAL code that comes with the Alpha Multia boxes with the RedHat Linux CDROM differes from the standard release in that it will operate in only 16M, instead of the standard OSF PAL code, which requires 32M to come up. The PAL code I'm using was originally used in the Linux Alpha port, which was done at the University of Arizona, here in Tuscon (I leave very near the guy who did most of the original Linux Alpha stuff). > > What microcode does the machine have? That will determine whether > > or not you can install NetBSD at all. > > Since DU is running on them now, NetBSD could be installed. DU requires the OSF PAL code. The issue of the NT PAL code is one of licensing for the PAL code. Apparently, DEC wants NT to win over Digital UNIX, and charges a premium for the OSF PAL code to make sure everyone is discouraged from running it. The original argument from the FreeBSD Alpha advocacy was to use the NT PAL code in the FreeBSD port to ensure that the additional licensing fee was not required. The Linux people got a special deal, but there are some interesting restrictions on it. I could type in the relevent portions of the Linux documentation, if I had to, I guess. It boils down to restrictions on use, and on the vendor having bought a one-time distribution license (this is the same vendor who was (is?) selling Multia's through the auctions on www.onslae.com, where I got mine. Terry Lambert terry@lambert.org --- Any opinions in this posting are my own and not those of my present or previous employers.
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