RetroBSD

There is still an option - to run retrobsd on pic32MZ.
The same setup and architecture, but larger memory and 2.5x faster (with half of power consumption per MHz)..
Retrobsd is currently the best solution we have got.

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Pukao Hats Cleaning Services Ltd.

Hi Pito,

I guess the interest in LiteBSD rather than the proven RetroBSD may be networking.

IF LiteBSD can be made to run, some of the DEC networking stuff may just run as is? And DEC stuff was pretty good!

I am NOT a BSD guru. But there are many out there.

I am hoping that Serge or someone as smart gets something with real networking up and running. I suspect that will open LOTS of doors for real applications?

FWIW my Retro system still works reliably. So at least the MX chip seems to be reliable.

One RF prototype which uses an Arduino chip seems to crash every other day or so!! RetroBSD does not seem to crash at least here .

Long live RetroBSD .

Lots of fun.

Wiz

Yes the retrobsd is quite functional and stable (at least my older version).
I think LiteBSD might end with a similar (or same) situation as we have with retrobsd - our RAM is too small
Therefore, I think, to move our retrobsd 1:1 to MZ would be something we are calling for since ever - "give us more ram and speed for our small binaries and stable kernel"
PS: my first observation with LiteBSD has been the memory is 4x bigger and programs (ie unix stuff) are 4x bigger too..

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Pukao Hats Cleaning Services Ltd.

Hi Pito,

Yup. I agree. I have a 1996 Linux box. Still runs great. 486DX66. Maybe 32mb of main memory. 2gB hard disk.

Red Hat some version.

Works great.

This box. Knoppix 7.2.0. 1 GB main memory. 20GB hard drive. Browser is a PIG. Runs slow. Stops running. Pull battery out and restart, etc.

I run Dillo when I can or SeaMonkey when I have to have java crap running. Assaulted by the Google giggle, etc.

I REALLY hope we can get a useful computer running . (with networking)

Enough of a rant !!!

Take care.

Lots of fun.

Wiz

It's relatively easy to port RetroBSD to MZ. One can use QEMU simulator with instruction tracing enabled, and accurately modify the startup code and TLB initialization for pic32mz. Use LiteBSD sources as a working prototype.

I'm currently focused on LiteBSD development, especially the networking capabilities like Ethernet and Wi-Fi driver.

Hi Serge,

FWIW, WiFi looks like another license pig to me! As far as I can tell most of the chips don't give real low level access to the RF. Lots of undocumented features, limitations, etc. I really wonder what kind of 'boot on lan' sort of hidden features are in some of those chips?

I think ethernet is much safer and more likely extra feature free.

And a packet monitor can easily be inserted in series with the external connection(s) to make sure .

An optional 2nd ethernet chip (NOT a dual port ethernet chip!) would allow us to do packet monitoring, packet interception, etc.

I see some neat applications for this. You probably do too .

Wiz

No DEC networking stuff is present in 4.4...it was Berkeley code - you'd need ULTRIX or OSF/1 for that if you wanted DECnet...both of which existed for MIPS as far as the OS goes. The IFCTF have source for both...but they're more encumbered than 4.4.

Mm, ULTRIX on a system that would fit in my pocket...

Hi getwnet,

Hmmmm....

I am not intimately familiar with DECnet or "THE" DECnet spec.

A top level spec. for DECnet would probably be useful for this group and I am MOST interested?

Getting stuff to run reliably especially over the long term seems to me to be THE problem.

My little RF net is working pretty well. That said, the 'bulletproof' chips don't seem to be that reliable. I have observed a variety of unexplained glitches. Some seem to be chip registers changing? Others seem to be 'reset' related. Ugh! What do you do when reset is not itself reliable? Remove power and pray and restart yet again?

I find it most 'interesting' that the reset button on the IBM PC came about from Microsoft's 'bug free' software! Food for thought.

I guess we could all tell some real stories . And how do you tell a receiver is working let alone working properly?

I think that DECnet's lessons would serve us all well?

My background is telephony. There are some REAL lessons on reliability there .

Are we having fun yet?

Lots of fun!

Wiz

Hi all,

A brief look at DECnet suggests that tcpip networking is what we need?

DECnet looks well thought through but not really relevant to the world we

have today?

From what I can tell DECnet allowed jobs to be run easily on networked machines

and maybe some real-time stuff like telephony?

Further comments welcome

Wiz