MiniMig + PowerPC = OS4 Hardware for all

[AndrewBell]

LawlessPPC wrote:
im hoping that once os4 classic ships its gonna get into the hands of the usual ingenious amiga coders and theyll patch it to boot on efika, peg, and any other ppc hardware out there

To do that you'd probably be better off with the A1 version. OS4 Classic boots from 68k first, loads the new kickstart modules, switches off the 68k and reboots on PPC. It may be possible to skip the first boot phase, but you'll still be left with a MAJOR problem. OS4 Classic doesn't have drivers for SATA, RADEON video cards etc.
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ZB50

[LawlessPPC]

and there was me having a nice dream and you go and spoil it never mind ill start dreaming about grex support then instead so i can run it

[mrmkl]

Minimig doesn't count as a "Classic Amiga", so it won't solve the hostage situation with Amiga Inc.
And it is good that Minimig isn't a "Classic Amiga", because Amiga Inc would otherwise jump in and say that Minimig is their property.

[Kronos]

...... but there is no way you could BUY an A1 version of OS4 .....



..... mind you same might also turn out true for the "classic" versioon  :roll:

[Piru]

@Jethro_Tull

This would work in theory, however as others have already pointed out the obvious problem is emulating the CS PPC or BPPC hardware in detail. This wouldn't be easy.

You'd also need very 603 / 604 compatible CPU for the rig, even at the supervisor level (while the user level side of various 32bit PowerPC ISAs are pretty much identical, the supervisor side varies quite a lot). That's because the OS bangs the CPU supervisor mode directly, and it would need to run the unmodified OS (to avoid breaching the license which bans disassembly and decompilation).

[Eclipse]

?
Are you my brother?

[Eclipse]

AndrewBell wrote:

Jethro_Tull wrote:
Whether it counts as a classic dosen't really matter, as long as it can run an off the shelf, original copy of OS4!  The PowerPC-Minimig can be sold without OS4 and Kickstart, which the buyer would then obtain from Hyperion and Cloanto respectively.  In time, it might even be possible to emulate other machines or use it as a general small form factor board!

So your idea is to make this address and register compatible with an A1200/BPPC or A4000/CSPPC. I didn't pick up on that. That would probably bring up other problems though, such as sourcing 603/604 processors.

Are you my brother?

[JosephC]

I did not sign any contract relinquishing my right to patch a program to run on a newer model of CPU.  I am free to patch my AmigaOS as I see fit.

[AndrewBell]

JosephC wrote:
I did not sign any contract relinquishing my right to patch a program to run on a newer model of CPU.  I am free to patch my AmigaOS as I see fit.

Go and read the license agreement that appears during AOS install before you say that. I've never read it myself, but most commercial software imposes terms and conditions that you agree to by installing, or sometimes even opening the package.
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Montana Medical Marijuana Dispensary

[AndrewBell]

Eclipse wrote:
?
Are you my brother?

Who are you asking?
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Vaporizers

[AndrewBell]

Kronos wrote:
...... but there is no way you could BUY an A1 version of OS4 .....

You can't buy it, but you can find it on the P2P networks.
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FORD TORINO TALLADEGA

[AeroMan]

downix wrote:

Hrm?  The 68k I just priced was $24.94, the 200Mhz MCF547x.

Yeah, but MCF547x is a ColdFire. There are some differences. It is a optimized chip, but not 100% compatible.

[little]

AeroMan wrote:

downix wrote:

The 68k I just priced was $24.94, the 200Mhz MCF547x.

MCF547x is a ColdFire. There are some differences. It is a optimized chip, but not 100% compatible.

We know, but if the XC3S400 in the minimig is substituted by a XC3S500E there is enough space to use a software 68k core. Then the PIC18LF252 might be substituted by the MCF547x, giving in the short run access to USB and ethernet and in the long run it could be enabled as the main cpu (when AROS is backported to the 68k amiga platform).

[Paradox]

EFIKA II with built in PowerVR.

[Hans_]

mrmkl wrote:
Minimig doesn't count as a "Classic Amiga", so it won't solve the hostage situation with Amiga Inc.
And it is good that Minimig isn't a "Classic Amiga", because Amiga Inc would otherwise jump in and say that Minimig is their property.

Unlike the A1 version, the clasic version is not OEM, so you can just buy it, without having to buy the hardware. Once you've got it, who's going to stop you using it in whatever way you wish?

BTW, isn't it absurd that we have to go to such lengths to run our preferred OS? I really wonder why ACube couldn't secure a license for OS4. Bill McEwen stated at shows prior to it coming out that he was working with them; the court documents suggest that ACube just suddenly walked away from the table and partnered with Hyperion. Maybe they felt like they weren't getting anywhere. Writing up an agreement and signing it shouldn't take months, let alone years.

Hans

[little]

Paradox wrote:
EFIKA II with built in PowerVR.

I have no inside info source, but I can bet that next year when Freescale releases the coldfire v5 there will be a model with bult-in PowerVR graphics and some kind of ac97 or IHD audio codec.

Why can I be so sure? Because the market these chips is geared towards is the high end car market, that is the reason for the creation of the MPC5121e (inside the soon to be release Efika II) and it makes sense that they add such capabilities to their coldfire line of procesors.