[SPARCbook] Free OS summary for Sparcbook

[Thomas Roehr]

Miles Nordin wrote: Linux and heat:

You comments about Linux and heat where true with the 2.0 and 2.2 kernels, but
not true with the 2.3 and 2.4 kernels. The main issues was how the cpu spent it's
idle time. In the newer kernels, idle time does not
cycle the cpu, thus not producing heat.

I have had my 3GX running comples for 30 days straight on a 2.3.99 kernel, and
the base heats up to maybe 90 degrees, warm but not uncomfortable. I'll place a
thermometer on it to provide factual data.

If you want you SparcBook cooler, pull the battery. Most of the heat comes from
keeping it charged.

I  have ftp'd down the lastest  NetBSD code to review and there is nothing
different in power mangement between Linux and NetBSD. In fact, they the same
because nothing special was done for the 3GX other then what was done for rest of
the world.

NetBSD may a slight edge because they have stubs for driving the pcmcia slots.
Not function code, but the #defines are in place. Both have drivers to the TS102
controller chip for checking battery status, where the power is coming from, etc.

The P9100 video driver is based on the same hack, forcing  it to act like a CG3
video card.

I would like you to point out in the build tree where NetBSD has this superior
power management. If it's there, I'll  revise my analysis.

As for rest of your analysis, I think you didn't review it with an open mind,
instead you applied innuendos to make it clear that if you were not using NetBSD,
you are wrong and foolish.

I have nothing against NetBSD, and it's contributers, I applauded them for their
hard work. I just want fair comparisons when people want to discuss merits of the
Open Source OS's. They really are like ice cream, pick the flavor you like.

Thomas Roehr
troehr at nj-onaramp.com

>
> Linux continues to inspire me every time I brush with it, but sadly the
> Sparcbook news is moderately dismal.  It's not really a big deal, but
> here's the skinny.
>
> Several people have netioned in the past, Linux is a very bad choice
> because it does not implement any power saving features.  You are not
> excused from dependence on this brokenness just because you're plugged
> into an AC outlet, because Sparcbooks get hot, and this makes their
> owners' legs uncomfortable, or frightens them.
>
> Although no one has reported damaging their Sparcbook by running Linux
> that I know of, several are concerned about it enough that they point
> fans at their Sparcbooks while running Linux.  Then again, many of these
> same people feel the need to use fans while doing ``long builds'' even
> under Solaris---a feeling I don't share.
>
> Personally, I don't feel a need to use a fan on my Sparcbook, but I
> would never let a friend boot Linux on it.
>
> It is possible Linux has improved power management, but I have heard
> nothing to that effect.  If they told me they had improved it, I
> would be skeptical---I'd probably respond, ``okay, you boot it on
> yours first then.  [...] Nice.  That's good for you.''



>
>
> NetBSD:
>
> NetBSD has the necessary power management to get the serial ports
> working, X on the screen (8-bit only), ability to turn off the screen
> backlight (and, unlike Solaris, to do it intuitively:  xset s activate),
> and a partial implementation of the power saving features.  I have
> never used a fan with my Sparcbook.  I do ``long builds'' (of NetBSD)
> all the time.  For a while, the bulk builds of the NetBSD packages
> collection were done off Todd Whitesel's Sparcbook.
>
> PC Cards, sound, ISDN, internal modem, hibernation, and /dev/bpp do
> not work.
>
> I am much happier with NetBSD on my SparcBook than Solaris 2.6.
> It is faster, and has working compilers and a packages collection.
> Supposedly NetBSD can run Solaris binaries so you can use certain
> large buggy proprietary web browsers, but I haven't tried this.
>
> NetBSD does not have ``less equal than others'' ports like Linux does.
> In fact, TNF made a big deal about rejecting CVSup as an official
> source distribution tool because Modula-2 isn't available on all
> NetBSD ports.  so, IMHO, NetBSD is always a better choice than Linux
> for a notPeeCee.  I suspect this opinion is highly controversial, but
> I am as convinced of it as the color of the sky.
>
> NetBSD's emphasis on clean design means that the claims of their
> developers are usually well thought-out, so if they say they have
> a certain level of features or performance, I would trust them not
> to damage my equipment by over-boasting.
>
> OpenBSD:
>
> There have been positive reports of this on the list as well, but I
> don't have personal experience.  The port is probably based on
> NetBSD, since Open and NetBSD share code with each other a lot.  I
> would therefore expect it to be very similar, except OpenBSD
> emphasizes practicality or usefulness or market-appropriateness
> or something over NetBSD's imperative toward clean code.
>
> BSDI:
>
> Isn't there a SPARC port of BSDI now?  I always hear really cool
> stuff about BSDI now and then.
>
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