gpvos@cs.vu.nl (Gerben 'P' Vos) (03/21/91)
I know of someone who is willing to port Minix to the Acorn Archimedes, but he isn't sure whether there has already been some effort to do that. I'd like to know about everyone who has tried it. Or, if there already is an Archimedes Minix, why haven't i heard of it? - Gerben -- --- Gerben Vos <>< - Aconet: BIGBEN!Gerben Vos - Internet: gpvos@cs.vu.nl
mvdvalk@cs.vu.nl (Valk v/d Martijn) (03/21/91)
I can recall a analogous request/discussion way back in 1988 by someone in England (Koelmans). Anyway, it never came to a definite port, as far as I know. BTW Gerben, could you please give us the name of that person? Martijn van der Valk <mvdvalk@cs.vu.nl> Yep, student at the other university in Amsterdam (VU that is) Real Men don't wear .sigs!
gpvos@cs.vu.nl (Gerben 'P' Vos) (03/22/91)
mvdvalk@cs.vu.nl (Valk v/d Martijn) writes: >BTW Gerben, could you please give us the name of that person? Jan Vermeulen, known to Aconet callers and *Asterisk* readers. ><mvdvalk@cs.vu.nl> >Yep, student at the >other university in >Amsterdam (VU that is) The VU is not the "other" university, it is THE university, right? >Real Men don't wear .sigs! Real Men aren't afraid to wear a .sig! - Gerben -- --- Gerben Vos <>< - Aconet: BIGBEN!Gerben Vos - Internet: gpvos@cs.vu.nl
mvdvalk@cs.vu.nl (Valk v/d Martijn) (03/22/91)
gpvos@cs.vu.nl (Gerben 'P' Vos) writes: >Jan Vermeulen, known to Aconet callers and *Asterisk* readers. Well, does Jan Vermeulen have an email address? >The VU is not the "other" university, it is THE university, right? Tang1 ran2, ke3 bu shi4 ma!
gpvos@cs.vu.nl (Gerben 'P' Vos) (03/22/91)
mvdvalk@cs.vu.nl (Valk v/d Martijn) writes: > Well, does Jan Vermeulen have an email address? No. But if you're interested in contacting him, i'll have a try over the BBS. Mail me with your address, and i'll pass it to him. - Gerben -- --- Gerben Vos <>< - Aconet: BIGBEN!Gerben Vos - Internet: gpvos@cs.vu.nl
eesrajm@cc.brunel.ac.uk (Andrew J Michael) (03/24/91)
In article <9396@star.cs.vu.nl>, gpvos@cs.vu.nl (Gerben 'P' Vos) writes: > I know of someone who is willing to port Minix to the Acorn Archimedes, but > he isn't sure whether there has already been some effort to do that. > I'd like to know about everyone who has tried it. > > Or, if there already is an Archimedes Minix, why haven't i heard of it? > > - Gerben > -- > --- Gerben Vos <>< - Aconet: BIGBEN!Gerben Vos - Internet: gpvos@cs.vu.nl This is one of those 'Holy Grail' type projects. I tackled it a couple of years ago for my part-time MSc project. Unfortunately it took me most of the time to get a working ACK C compiler for the ARM, so I didn't finish it. There are two main problems to consider: (a). The compiler. Albert Koelmans and I got a working compiler in the end but it is very slow - about 900 dhrystones per second. Compare this to the 4000 or so from the Norcroft compiler. Unfortunately it is impossible to use the existing RISCOS version of the Norcroft compiler. (This is my standard aptitude test for people who have expressed interest in porting MINIX to the Archimedes; if you think that can use the existing compiler, then you might as well not bother to go any further). However, there are now some other possibilities. Those with a RISCiX machine are in a far better position. I have also heard that a backend is now available for gcc. I was in the position of trying to use an unproven compiler on unproved kernel code. (b). Hardware. Although there are some books about the ARM hardware, what you really need is some application sheets, and there weren't any last time I looked. My original port was designed to use RS232 rather than the screen and keyboard, because I couldn't find out enough about the keyboard and VIDC. The other difficulty was the MMU, which *has* to be right, or you will never get the machine to boot. I gave up because of lack of time, but Albert Koelmans is still, I think trying to use it as a student project. You can try him for more details (he might shoot me for saying so) - Albert.Koelmans@newcastle.ac.uk Regards Andy Michael -- Andy Michael "You might think that. I 85 Hawthorne Crescent couldn't possibly comment." West Drayton - `House of Cards' Middlesex email: eesrajm@brunel.ac.uk UB7 9PA or Andrew.Michael@brunel.ac.uk