NetBSD on LC 575

[luddite]

So I have a 575 that I keep stubbing my toes on and I thought it might be worth trying to install NetBSD* on it (mainly just so I can learn the rudiments of UNIX)... I have several questions, however:

First off, I'm aware that I would have to replace the processor with a full 040... anyone know of a cheap source for these? Google hasn't been very helpful.

Next up, I have a 4GB Barracuda and 32MB RAM to throw in... this is much more than the minimum quoted online, but I'm wondering if this is going to be adequate for doing anything useful.

According to apple-history.com the LC 575 uses 40 watts, which is only 10 watts more than the 475 with no monitor. Does anyone know if this is accurate? If its going to be on 24/7 I don't want a nasty surprise on my power bill. In the same vein, does NetBSD have the ability to turn off the monitor or spin down the HDD on the 575?

* Why NetBSD and not X, Y or Z? Mainly because I have experience installing it successfully on an LCIII and the online documentation and tutorials are fairly good.

 

[porter]

I got my 68040 from a random place in China, I think it was a pull.

Make sure you have an ethernet card, UNIX is a pain without a network.

 

[luddite]

Make sure you have an ethernet card, UNIX is a pain without a network.

I do, and I know from the LCIII experience that it plays nice with NetBSD.

 

[wthww]

eBay is the key. This place sells them ueber cheap, or used to..

http://cgi.ebay.com/Motorola-68040-processor-XC68040RC33M-02E31F_W0QQitemZ230311466066QQihZ013QQcategoryZ164QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem

//wthww

For Atari people : they have '060s too.

 

[ChristTrekker]

I'd have to double check for the 575, but I think most machines work with emulated FPU now. Shouldn't be a requirement to get the full 040.

 

[wthww]

Yeah but its still rather buggy, and slow. Plus, it will help in MacOS too.

Correct me please if I am wrong

//wthww

 

[luddite]

Okay, the '040 is on order, so I guess I have a few days grace ;-)

 

[ChristTrekker]

ftp://ftp.netbsd.org/pub/pkgsrc/packages/NetBSD-4.0/mac68k/

What they don't have, I might.

http://christtrek.dyndns.org:8000/pkgsrc/packages/NetBSD-4.0/mac68k/

Get what you can from the official site, though. As of this writing, their builds are newer than mine.

 

[Bunsen]

According to apple-history.com the LC 575 uses 40 watts, which is only 10 watts more than the 475 with no monitor. Does anyone know if this is accurate?

http://68kmla.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=90654#90654

I just had my 475 hooked up to a wattmeter last night, and with a beefy 9GB 7200RPM SCA SCSI-III HD connected to a 50-pin adapter, it was dissipating around 27 watts at idle. At boot it's around the mid 30s. This is a full 040, 33MHz-modified machine as well

 

[luddite]

Well, I've succeeded in upgrading the 575 without destroying it and I've got NetBSD/mac68k installed (and posting from it right now)... I see a steep learning curve in my future ;-)

 

[QuadSix50]

Yes, it is a bit steep. I remember that same feeling when I installed NetBSD 3.1 on my Quadra 650. With all my years of experience in GNU/Linux (especially Slackware), I was a bit overwhelmed at how much you still had to do back then. I had followed Matthew Theobald's tutorial at that time. Not sure how up-to-date it is for the current version of NetBSD.

Maybe in the near future I will give this another go. }

 

[luddite]

I had followed Matthew Theobald's tutorial at that time. Not sure how up-to-date it is for the current version of NetBSD.

There were a few minor discrepancies (his tutorial goes back to version 1.5, so I guess it's abit old), but it was still quite helpful.

The one thing that caused the most headbanging was the Macintosh installer not being able to mount any drives... I spent several hours reformatting and partitioning before realizing that I needed to use the Booter and install kernel instead... which worked a charm. Well, except for half the packages being missing -- but it was actually a fairly quick and painless installation once I got things figured out.

 

[ChristTrekker]

I needed to use the Booter and install

Installation from the Mac OS is very very slow. You ought to be able to install a minimal system with just kernel, base, and etc, then boot into it and untar the rest of the things you want manually.

Congrats on getting it set up, BTW. What sorts of things are you planning to do?

 

[luddite]

Congrats on getting it set up, BTW. What sorts of things are you planning to do?

Aside from "learning unix", I'm setting it up as an internet gateway for 8-bit machines... it's turning out to be a fun project

 

[ChristTrekker]

Aside from "learning unix", I'm setting it up as an internet gateway for 8-bit machines... it's turning out to be a fun project

I still want to get Contiki up and working myself someday...

 

[wthww]

ChristTrekker, if you ever need help with anything that I can offer it in, please, ask! Contiki on a 68k machine would be GLORIOUS!

[/me crosses bodily appendages]

//wthww

 

[luddite]

ChristTrekker, if you ever need help with anything that I can offer it in, please, ask! Contiki on a 68k machine would be GLORIOUS!

And I'll be cheering from the sidelines!