Re: What is the current state of the Octane/IP30 support?

[Kumba <kumba@gentoo.org>]

Ed Stafford wrote:
> I have a single-proc Octane at home that I've decided should be
> running with Linux, but I have been reading up online about the
> Experimental nature of the kernel in relation to the hardware.  Since
> most of the info I found was dated 2006, I wanted to ask your (as a
> group) opinion on how stable / usable the Octane is today with the
> current kernel.
> 
> I'm not adverse to bleeding edge, I just want to know whether or not
> I'll be struggling on something that just doesn't have enough drivers
> written for it to make it usable.
> 
> Just in case anyone asks, I'll probably be using Gentoo, but I'm not
> glued to that distro.  (I'm very agnostic and just prefer it to work
> the best vs. distro-warring..)
> 
> Thanks a bunch!

Right now, Gentoo does have the best support for them (mine is running 
2.6.23-rc5 about 3.5ft from me as I type).  But I do believe the debian guys 
have been working on a debian install image for them too (tbm/ths, am I right on 
this?)

For the most part, Impact-based systems run great.  You get X, unaccelerated, no 
3D, and a framebuffer.  VPro, framebuffer, but no X.  USB kinda weorks if you 
have a PCI-Card Cage and a OHCI chipsets (UHCI is dead last I checked), and I 
think EHCI works fine.  Haven't tried much else beyond those PCI devices.

A lot of the other XIO Boards, outside of the Impact or Vpro boards, are wholly 
untested, and likely won't work at all.  Nor do I think dual head will work if 
you have a second Impact card kicking around.

For gentoo, we have an "RC6" livecd.  I've played with building an RC7 several 
times, but that got sidetracked about 2-3 months ago.  I hope to resume work on 
it soon.  You can find that and the current netboots on your local gentoo 
mirror, in the experimental/mips sub-folders.

Further gentoo questions regarding this system should be directed to the 
gentoo-mips ML; linux-mips here is more for distro-agnostic development.

Have fun!  (and what Proc, btw?)


--Kumba

-- 
Gentoo/MIPS Team Lead

"Such is oft the course of deeds that move the wheels of the world: small hands 
do them because they must, while the eyes of the great are elsewhere."  --Elrond