[rescue] Dec PWS 500a

[Dave McGuire]

On August 25, Patrick Giagnocavo wrote:
> >>   It will likely *never* support the cool video hardware, though...not
> >> enough documentation available.
> >
> >When I inquired, I always got the response "Not enough documentation to do a
> >port". 8-(
> 
> I guess I am a little confused here.  The X11 and GL protocols are well
> defined interfaces.

  Yes, but how to shove polygons into the graphics pipeline *isn't*.

> Simply running the X server under binary compatibility would work.

  ...if the system calls to talk to the video drivers are emulated by
the binary compatibility code.  For that to happen, the programming
interfaces would need to be documented, and the base OS would need
drivers written, and the emulation subsystem would need the appropriate
translation stuff written.

> Case in point:  the xig.com server was never ported to OpenBSD but many
> folks got it running under FreeBSD or NetBSD emulation.  You could even run
> it under Linux emulation on FreeBSD.

  That's likely because the xig.com server probably talks directly to
the hardware, without an intervening device driver.  SGI is smarter
than that.

       -Dave

-- 
Dave McGuire
Laurel, MD