Linux On Solbourne?

Corvidae asks: "I recently acquired several (a dozen or so) Solbourne single-processor KAP boxes, sans OS. Unfortunately, in order to use them, I'd need to license OS/MP from Grumman, which costs $800 US per license. I know enough to realize when I'm being screwed, so went looking for a Linux-based OS to run on them. However, the only references I was able to find all indicate that Solbourne support is "on its way" and are all several years old. Does anyone know of a distro that's been tested somewhat recently (even a SWAG would do) to work on Solbourne KAP machines? They're great boxes and I'd hate to see them go to waste for lack of an OS..."

HP compatable?

[Chaostrophy]

Or am I dreaming? I don't think there is much for linux on HP, the were so closed that they would not even give out info so you could write a free compiler. Though there was some kind of port at one time or another.

Google?

[Finni]

Solbourne Shack - first result searching Google for Solbourne.

Operating systems. [colorado.edu]

The relevant snipping :

What about Other Operating Systems?

Issues

There's some issues that need to be addressed.

KBus

Obviously, this is ground-level work.

KAP Processor

The IDT's KAP processor is a derivative processor that has a lot of Mask Level bug workarounds in OS/MP.

Linux

No Support that i know of. You can obtain more information from the S/Linux FAQ [ultralinux.org]

OpenBSD

No Support that i know of. You can obtain more information from the OpenBSD SPARC support list [openbsd.org]

The OpenBSD changes page [openbsd.org] lists KBus work as being added, but i see nothing else.

OpenBSD 2.2 released (Dec 4, 1997) Addition of 'kbus' port for the Solbourne Series5 sparc-based machines. , 1997) Addition of 'kbus' port for the Solbourne Series5 sparc-based machines.

Fraid you're out of luck with Linux, but...

[isaac]

...you might have better luck with netbsd or openbsd, if your Solbournes are the sun4c/sun4m compatible models. If they're not, then you're REALLY out of luck. There just aren't enough of these machine in the hands of free OS developers.

-Isaac

Hmm...

[Corvidae]

Thanks for the leads, guys. I took a look at the Solbourne Shack (that's what actually prompted me to ask here, as it was last modified in 97 or somesuch).

I checked out the BSD variants, but didn't find any that looked like they'd work. Oh well...

Yah, like Isaac said

[danpbrowning]

Try Netbsd.

Re:You had better hurry up

[cluening]

Dude, what is the point of running off onto some little-read, seldom-posted-to section of Slashdot just to get a first post? That seems about as bad as camping in Quake. Go out to the big stories, the ones that get hundreds of posts, and go for the first post there! :)

Re:No on NetBSD

[Strog]

NetBSD has Solbourne listed on it's list of not supported hardware.

Re:Hmm...

[NGTV13]

Well, if it helps any, I have a close friend (actually, my father) who worked for solbourn for maybe 10 years, and if anyone would know about a way around your problem, he would, so I've got him working on it right now..
NGTV|3

Re:Fraid you're out of luck with Linux, but...

[mini me]

There just aren't enough of these machine in the hands of free OS developers.

Maybe you would be willing to give some of these machines away to open source developers? I mean unless you're gonna pay the $800 then they'll be useless to you anyway. I'm sure someone out there would be willing to undergo this project?