Subject: Re: Indigo2 & Linux

From: "William J. Earl" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 13:29:15 -0800

Steve Martin writes:
 > I'm curious as to what the current progress is with Linux and the
 > Indigo2(R4400SC 150Mhz Elan)
 > Also, I remember hearing something about running Xsgi on Linux, has that
 > been successfully(not stable, just enough to see it start up, maybe not
 > usable) done yet?

     One recent change is that I and other SGI engineers now have
authorization to release interface details of the system and graphics
hardware for Indigo2, as we have previously had authorization for
Indy.  Unfortunately, I have not yet had time to locate the additional
documentation (where Indigo2 differs from Indy).  Also, the policy
for source code disclosure is still not settled, and being able
to release selected bits of low-level IRIX code would make the whole
effort much simpler.  (Everyone is agreed in principle that SGI should
release some such source code to interested Linux developers, but we
need a formal policy to authorize people to, in effect, give away
SGI intellectual property.  Admittedly, the value of the relevant
code is small, but individual employees are not ordinarily authorized
to make such contributions, although that is obviously changing in
respect to Linux-based work.)

---

From: [email-masked] (Ariel Faigon)
Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 14:24:23 -0800 (PST)

Steve Martin wrote:
:
:I'm curious as to what the current progress is with Linux and the
:Indigo2(R4400SC 150Mhz Elan)
:Also, I remember hearing something about running Xsgi on Linux, has that
:been successfully(not stable, just enough to see it start up, maybe not
:usable) done yet?
:
Thanks to Bill for answering the documentation part.
Just to add something on the Xsgi part.

Miguel got Xsgi to a point where it was starting without being
very useful (e.g. no functioning mouse) and went to work on much
more important stuff (GNOME) where he made a much bigger impact on
the future of Linux as a whole.  Miguel did an amazing job
considering that he practically reverse engineered everything.

So the short answer is: No. We don't have X on Indy/Linux yet.

--
Peace, Ariel

---

From: Steve Martin <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 16:07:30 -0800

--
..
Steve Martin,
Axial, http://www.cubicsky.com

---

From: Honza Pazdziora <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 12 Mar 1999 11:17:17 +0100

> very useful (e.g. no functioning mouse) and went to work on much

OK, but do we have a code that has the graphics dealing done (to
a certain point)? Where could it be found? I'd like to have a look and
maybe move on with the development.

Thanks,

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Honza Pazdziora | [email-masked] | http://www.fi.muni.cz/~adelton/
 make vmlinux.exe			-- SGI Visual Workstation Howto
------------------------------------------------------------------------

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From: "Andrew R. Baker" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 12 Mar 1999 09:59:59 -0600 (CST)

> been successfully(not stable, just enough to see it start up, maybe not

Just as a quick note, to where I am on the Indigo2.  I have gotten it to
boot the kernel off of the network and start initializing devices.  It
will even send out packets over ethernet, but I do not have working
interrupts yet so it doesn't ever see any response.  For the most part, it
dies on "Trying to mount root filesystem".  I should have something
working not too long after I get some docs.

-Andrew

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From: Miguel de Icaza <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 12 Mar 1999 12:14:51 -0600

> maybe move on with the development.

Which part are you interested in?  The kernel support or the X
server?

The kernel support is integrated.  You just need to setup an IRIX
emulation environment (/usr/emul/irix perhaps?  I forget) and the
proper devices used by the X server in /dev and you should be able to
launch the X server.

Not every client hangs the kernel, but xterm and emacs notably do it
(run them on a different machine to eliminate a variable).

Miguel.

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From: Thomas Bogendoerfer <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 13 Mar 1999 03:35:34 +0100

> proper devices used by the X server in /dev and you should be able to

I don't think this still works with a current kernel. I'm pretty sure, that
I broke at least the graphics device, when I did the new newport console.

Thomas.

-- 
   This device has completely bogus header. Compaq scores again :-|
It's a host bridge, but it should be called ghost bridge instead ;^)
                                        [Martin `MJ' Mares on linux-kernel]

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From: Richard Hartensveld <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 15 Mar 1999 00:09:57 +0100

> working not too long after I get some docs.

Is there some place where i can get your kernel (source) from? have you got
some kind of CVS tree running?

I've got an indigo2 with Extreme video here on which i'd like to try your
kernel and see what happens.

Richard