[rescue] *BSD on Sparc? what about sh3?

[Koyote]

> >> I don't want to criticize the NetBSD project, because they've done
> >> wonders, both in supporting lots of exotic hardware and also in
> >> continuing a sane evolution of BSD, but I am in an unfortunate
> >> position of having a couple of systems they don't support. Primarily
> >> my RS/6000 (Powerserver 930). (Which I'm almost done replacing with
> >> a Sun-4/3x0, even though that's a lot slower, just because I hate
> >> AIX so much.)

SO, I've been thinkin... I've got several HP320LX handheld machines. They are fantasic hardware- the keys are really touchtypable at 60% layout. (they aren't "keyboard" keys, they are the old shape hp "calc" key types.) Runs forever on AA (unless you add pcmcia, then you need extended power), has cf and pcmcia onboard. RS232. Reasonably spiffy SH3 cpu. 1/2 vga (640x240) screen in B&W with use selectable backlighting.

Mostly available on ebay for <$40.

There's one tiny little problem. 95% of them are wince 1.0. This makes them *useless*

What has this to do with netbsd (Or Dave)?

NBSD has an sh3 port. it doesn't technically support this specific hp model- mostly because wince1.0 can't run the bootloader (talk about a weak os!). But!

The rom is easily accessible and designed to be switched with updated boards by the user.

I lack the McGuire fu to do this, but is there not a way to perhaps get the basics of nbsd stable, enough for cf/pcmcia/shell/vt/serial/emacs and burn it?

I've been wanting to ask this for a while. I guess it's not technically rescue, but it would make easily affordable handhelds into some rockin hacker machines.