I remember a number of years ago that you could run a version of NetBSD on an early 68k Apple Powebook. It didn't support the frame buffer, though, so you could only run a shell session over a serial console.
That's because the serial console is, generally speaking, the easiest starting point for any new port, and gives you a way to obtain debug output while you try to bring up the rest. Typically the serial console is already initialized by firmware, so you don't need to have any specific knowledge of e.g. how to reprogram the baud rate generator, you just need to figure out where the TX and RX buffers are mapped in the address space and can inherit the initialization settings already applied by firmware. It on
I used to run netbsd on my Macintosh IIci. It didn't support Apple's 8*24 GC, but I only had the 8*24 card (no GC, that is, no acceleration) so I got to have graphics.
The clothes have no emperor.
-- C.A.R. Hoare, commenting on ADA.
But whyyyy (Score:1)
Yeesh, of anything you could run.. why wouldn't you rather have games? You probably already have a phone or tablet or three.
Re:But whyyyy (Score:1)
I remember a number of years ago that you could run a version of NetBSD on an early 68k Apple Powebook. It didn't support the frame buffer, though, so you could only run a shell session over a serial console.
Re: (Score:3)
That's because the serial console is, generally speaking, the easiest starting point for any new port, and gives you a way to obtain debug output while you try to bring up the rest. Typically the serial console is already initialized by firmware, so you don't need to have any specific knowledge of e.g. how to reprogram the baud rate generator, you just need to figure out where the TX and RX buffers are mapped in the address space and can inherit the initialization settings already applied by firmware. It on
Re: (Score:2)
I used to run netbsd on my Macintosh IIci. It didn't support Apple's 8*24 GC, but I only had the 8*24 card (no GC, that is, no acceleration) so I got to have graphics.