[parisc-linux] RDI Tadpole Precisionbook and Linux/PA-RISC

[parisc-linux] RDI Tadpole Precisionbook and Linux/PA-RISC

[M. Grabert]

Hi,

I just wonder whether somebody has experience in running Linux on
a Precisionbook (which is the equivalent to a B-Class machine according
to Tadpole). According to OpenPA.net it contains the following chips:

LASI ASIC, which features:
- NCR 53c710 8-bit single-ended SCSI-2
- Intel 82596CA 10Mb Ethernet controller
- WD 16C522 compatible parallel
- Harmony CD/DAT quality 16-bit audio
- NS 16550A compatible serial
Dino PCI bus-adaptor
Visualize EG (Graffiti) graphics with 2MB memory
1MB flash memory
Intel 82503 Ethernet transceiver, media auto-selection
CS4215 or AD1849 programmable CODECs
WD37C65C Floppy controller


As far as I can see the only thing that isn't supported on
Linux/PA-RISC right now is the floppy controller. The (IDE-)hard disks
shouldn't be a problem since they are attached to the NCR 53c710 via a
SCSI-IDE adapter.

Does anybody know whether it could/should/may/will/does run Linux?

Thanks in advance,

Max

Re: [parisc-linux] RDI Tadpole Precisionbook and Linux/PA-RISC

[Matthew Wilcox]

On Sun, Mar 30, 2003 at 09:02:31AM +0100, M. Grabert wrote:
> I just wonder whether somebody has experience in running Linux on
> a Precisionbook (which is the equivalent to a B-Class machine according

I tried to get hold of one from them.  They never called me back ;-(

> to Tadpole). According to OpenPA.net it contains the following chips:
> 
> LASI ASIC, which features:

Same as everything from the 712 to the J2240 ;-)

> Dino PCI bus-adaptor

Also in everything from the B132 to the J2240

> Visualize EG (Graffiti) graphics with 2MB memory

Works in other machines.

> 1MB flash memory

Don't know how this is hooked up.  Might work, give it a try.

> Intel 82503 Ethernet transceiver, media auto-selection

Presumably we dont actually need a driver for this.

> CS4215 or AD1849 programmable CODECs

Hooks up to harmony, no worries.

> WD37C65C Floppy controller

As you say, no floppy support yet.

> As far as I can see the only thing that isn't supported on
> Linux/PA-RISC right now is the floppy controller. The (IDE-)hard disks
> shouldn't be a problem since they are attached to the NCR 53c710 via a
> SCSI-IDE adapter.

Doesn't it also have a PCMCIA adapter?  No-one's tried making those work.

> Does anybody know whether it could/should/may/will/does run Linux?

Obviously it _should_.  But since no-one's tried ...

-- 
"It's not Hollywood.  War is real, war is primarily not about defeat or
victory, it is about death.  I've seen thousands and thousands of dead bodies.
Do you think I want to have an academic debate on this subject?" -- Robert Fisk

Re: [parisc-linux] RDI Tadpole Precisionbook and Linux/PA-RISC

[Carlos O'Donell]

> I tried to get hold of one from them.  They never called me back ;-(

I got a hold of them, and they wouldn't stop bothering me. The only
thing holding me back was the price. It's like $6K US for one of these
babies... refurbished at that :} That comes out to a few million
Canadian clams.
 
> > Does anybody know whether it could/should/may/will/does run Linux?
> 
> Obviously it _should_.  But since no-one's tried ...

... cause they cost an arm and a leg.

I'd love to hear that you boys in IE have cheaper prices on these
laptops :)

c.

--- Refubished Sales snippet ---
H18-14-XX-256/512- $6,200-6,500.00 USD
180 MHz HP Processor, 14" LCD, 6 GB HDD (one or two drives for total of 12 GB HDD).
These are what will ship with PBooks:
1. User Manual
2. Software Manual (HP-UX 11.0).
3. Carry Bag
4. 13W3 Video Adapter
5. Power Supply w/Cord
Usual 10 day lead time.
90 day warranty.                          
--------------------------------

Re: [parisc-linux] RDI Tadpole Precisionbook and Linux/PA-RISC

[b.gunreben]

Carlos O'Donell wrote:
> 
> > I tried to get hold of one from them.  They never called me back ;-(
> 
> I got a hold of them, and they wouldn't stop bothering me. The only
> thing holding me back was the price. It's like $6K US for one of these
> babies... refurbished at that :} That comes out to a few million
> Canadian clams.

Well, if you want to have one, have a look at 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3408697535&category=177

Berthold

Re: [parisc-linux] RDI Tadpole Precisionbook and Linux/PA-RISC

[Carlos O'Donell]

> Well, if you want to have one, have a look at 
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3408697535&category=177

Holy smokes! If only I wasn't saving for graduate studies :(

c.

Re: [parisc-linux] RDI Tadpole Precisionbook and Linux/PA-RISC

[M. Grabert]

On Sun, 30 Mar 2003, b.gunreben wrote:

> Carlos O'Donell wrote:
> >
> > > I tried to get hold of one from them.  They never called me back ;-(
> >
> > I got a hold of them, and they wouldn't stop bothering me. The only
> > thing holding me back was the price. It's like $6K US for one of these
> > babies... refurbished at that :} That comes out to a few million
> > Canadian clams.
>
> Well, if you want to have one, have a look at
>
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3408697535&category=177

Obviously the guys in DE are not that dumb either ;)


lol, Max

Re: [parisc-linux] RDI Tadpole Precisionbook and Linux/PA-RISC

[M. Grabert]

On Sun, 30 Mar 2003, Carlos O'Donell wrote:

> Date: Sun, 30 Mar 2003 14:13:27 -0500
> From: Carlos O'Donell <carlos@baldric.uwo.ca>
> To: Matthew Wilcox <willy@debian.org>
> Cc: M. Grabert <xam@cs.ucc.ie>, parisc-linux@lists.parisc-linux.org
> Subject: Re: [parisc-linux] RDI Tadpole Precisionbook and Linux/PA-RISC
>
> > I tried to get hold of one from them.  They never called me back ;-(
>
> I got a hold of them, and they wouldn't stop bothering me. The only
> thing holding me back was the price. It's like $6K US for one of these
> babies... refurbished at that :} That comes out to a few million
> Canadian clams.
>
> > > Does anybody know whether it could/should/may/will/does run Linux?
> >
> > Obviously it _should_.  But since no-one's tried ...
>
> ... cause they cost an arm and a leg.

Well, actually just you little toe ;)

http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?cgiurl=3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.com=
%2Fws%2F&krd=3D1&from=3DR8&MfcISAPICommand=3DGetResult&ht=3D1&SortProperty=
=3DMetaEndSort&query=3Dprecisionbook

more specifically:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3D3408697535&category=3D=
177

There are 8 (mhh, well, now just 7 ;-) Precisionbooks left!

> I'd love to hear that you boys in IE have cheaper prices on these
> laptops :)

No, we boys in IE just know how to use the 'search' function on Ebay  ;)))


Greetings from =C9ire,

Max

Re: [parisc-linux] RDI Tadpole Precisionbook and Linux/PA-RISC

[Dr. David Alan Gilbert]

* M. Grabert (xam@cs.ucc.ie) wrote:
> 
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3408697535&category=177

Sheesh how many milliseconds do the batteries last on these things?

Dave
 ---------------- Have a happy GNU millennium! ----------------------   
/ Dr. David Alan Gilbert    | Running GNU/Linux on Alpha,68K| Happy  \ 
\ gro.gilbert @ treblig.org | MIPS,x86,ARM,SPARC,PPC & HPPA | In Hex /
 \ _________________________|_____ http://www.treblig.org   |_______/

Re: [parisc-linux] RDI Tadpole Precisionbook and Linux/PA-RISC

[M. Grabert]

On Sun, 30 Mar 2003, Dr. David Alan Gilbert wrote:

> * M. Grabert (xam@cs.ucc.ie) wrote:
> >
> > http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3408697535&category=177
>
> Sheesh how many milliseconds do the batteries last on these things?

1-2 hours ;)

Re: [parisc-linux] RDI Tadpole Precisionbook and Linux/PA-RISC

[Stan Sieler]

Re:

(Note: if anyone has a Tadpole/RDI PrecisionBook manual/documentation-set,
I'd be real interested in asking them a couple of questions!)


> I got a hold of them, and they wouldn't stop bothering me. The only
> thing holding me back was the price. It's like $6K US for one of these
> babies... refurbished at that :} That comes out to a few million
> Canadian clams.

They've been popping up regularly on eBay for the last 6 weeks.     
My guess is that some company surplused a *lot* of them.  I picked up
a couple, and have seen a couple more, in the last month.  Every one
has a non-tadpole/RDI asset tag of the form:

   AudFMA-18
   SVID0127xxxxxx   (where the xxxxxx varies from laptop to laptop)

...this includes some from www.surplusvillage.com as well as some
from eBay (via two different sellers).
  

Price paid ranged from $70 to $185.  Of the four seen, one came with a
carrying case.  None had the floppy drive or the docking station / expansion
cable/whatever.  Most had two internal hard drives, but one had the drives
removed and shipped just with the drive "cases" (and the IDE-SCSI converter
card they need).  All have had 256 MB of RAM.

Note: if buying one, try to get the A/C adapter...it's funky.
One or two have had hardware flaws that caused the laptop screen to go
solid white after 5 to 30 minutes of use.

The machines I've seen are PrecisionBook models H16, and have the following
ports/slots:

right side: (from front to back)
   headphones
   mic in
   line in
   speaker out
      (the above are above the battery)
   battery (4500 mAh, Li ion)

   openable compartment with:
      PCMCIA slots (two slots)
      Floppy disk drive connector 

   openable compartment with:
      SCSI connector (50 pin high density; single-ended)

back:  (left to right, viewed from back)
   (power connector, circular 5 pin, screw on)
   docking station (unusual (to me) connector)
   monitor (15-pin standard)
   keyboard (PS-2)
   mouse (PS-2)
   LAN (10 Base T)
   combo parallel/serial/AUI connector (unusual, small connector)
  
left side: 
   two removable disk drives (each in a plastic caddy; the drives
   are IBM 4 GB IDE drives, connected to an IDE -> SCSI converter
   that's also inside the caddy)

underneath:
   (center)
   compartment with access to add-on memory.  (Apparently, up to
   two add-on cards are possible.) 

-- 
Stan Sieler                                           sieler@allegro.com
www.allegro.com/sieler/wanted/index.html                  www.sieler.com

Re: [parisc-linux] RDI Tadpole Precisionbook and Linux/PA-RISC

[M. Grabert]

On Sun, 30 Mar 2003, Stan Sieler wrote:

> (Note: if anyone has a Tadpole/RDI PrecisionBook manual/documentation-set,
> I'd be real interested in asking them a couple of questions!)

The only information I found on the web:

(www.tadpole.com -> search "precisionbook"):

http://hw.tadpole.com/html/support/legacy/unsupported/precisionbook/specification.html


(www.google.com -> "precisionbook 19 volts" -> google cache):

http://216.239.57.100/search?q=cache:96ITX9tXtXkC:hw.tadpole.com/pdf/support/legacy/supported/precisionbook/whitepaper.pdf+precisionbook+19+volts&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
http://216.239.57.100/search?q=cache:X0CgrLFxb9IC:hw.tadpole.com/print/html/products/legacy/supported/precisionbook/whitepapers/online.html+precisionbook+19+volts&hl=en&ie=UTF-8



I should get my precisionbook next week (hopefully); it is not mentioned
in the ebay offer whether documentation/manuals are shipped it - I'll let
you know if this is the case.


greeting max

Re: [parisc-linux] RDI Tadpole Precisionbook and Linux/PA-RISC

[Stan Sieler]

Re:

> (www.google.com -> "precisionbook 19 volts" -> google cache):

try also:

   http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=site%3Ahw.tadpole.com++precisionbook&btnG=Google+Search

For most of the links found by the above, you'll have to click on "Cache" to get
the doc, or for the PDF ones, the "view as HTML".

-- 
Stan Sieler                                           sieler@allegro.com
www.allegro.com/sieler/wanted/index.html                  www.sieler.com

Re: [parisc-linux] RDI Tadpole Precisionbook and Linux/PA-RISC

[Rüdiger Scholz]

Stan Sieler schrieb:

>Re:
>
>(Note: if anyone has a Tadpole/RDI PrecisionBook manual/documentation-set,
>I'd be real interested in asking them a couple of questions!)
>  
>
Are you looking still for the documentation?  Try this one: 
http://www.openpa.net/systems/pbook.html

Greets, Rüdiger

Re: [parisc-linux] RDI Tadpole Precisionbook and Linux/PA-RISC

[Stan Sieler]

Re:

> >(Note: if anyone has a Tadpole/RDI PrecisionBook manual/documentation-set,

> Are you looking still for the documentation?  Try this one: 
> http://www.openpa.net/systems/pbook.html

thanks...it has some great PDF files that I didn't find anywhere
else: the user guide (70+ pages) and a "hardware manual" (140+ pages).
 
-- 
Stan Sieler                                           sieler@allegro.com
www.allegro.com/sieler/wanted/index.html                  www.sieler.com

Re: [parisc-linux] RDI Tadpole Precisionbook and Linux/PA-RISC

[Grant Grundler]

On Sun, Mar 30, 2003 at 04:20:36PM +0100, Matthew Wilcox wrote:
> > 1MB flash memory
> 
> Don't know how this is hooked up.  Might work, give it a try.

That's NVRAM. I don't know if we've documented the layout.
My gut feeing is only PDC should be touching NVRAM right now.

grant