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List:       toasters
Subject:    Port Linux to F330, was RE: Newbie
From:       "Henry Black P.E." <henry () baypatent ! com>
Date:       2004-07-29 18:19:38
Message-ID: NHBBJNKBOLBCDOKELIJMKEKEDIAA.henry () baypatent ! com
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The first F330 head I tried (I have a pile of them) was, it turns 
out, DOA, it did not even initilize the LCD successfully. 
The second one started talking on the console port instantly as 
a DCE at 9600N1.

So reading the archives I gather that NetApp does not
want their software run by hobbyists on vintage hardware.
They don't want it, so I won't do it, their loss (of
at least goodwill) - as well as mine.

So since I won't be using prepackaged software solutions
I popped the lid, out of curiousity and to assess scrap value.
(Anyone want to buy F330 parts? :-).  Anyway, it sure looks 
like a Pentium 90 to me and I have somewhere in the cave a 
hardware debugger for those things.  So I certainly know 
enough about it the create a floppy bootloader and tty driver.

At this point it occurs to me that since I've never touched any NetApp
software or docs I'm "clean-room clean" to build a loader to bring an
untainted Linux port up on the toaster-beast.  

The F330 sure looks like solid hardware to run Linux on and if NetApp 
doesn't want their software used then Linux seems a good way 
to salvage residual value in obsolete old filer hardware.

Problem is that, though I know firmware level Pentium, I don't know
Linux kernels.  I suppose I could learn but would anyone else be 
interested in a project?  

Better yet how about funding for commercialized (proprietary) Linux 
port components? 

I live in Northern California, and curse letting my best email address out
onto this list, only a matter of time before it gets spammed:-(

Henry



-----Original Message-----
From: owner-toasters@mathworks.com
[mailto:owner-toasters@mathworks.com]On Behalf Of Henry Black P.E.
Sent: Tuesday, July 27, 2004 7:08 PM
To: toasters@mathworks.com
Subject: Newbie


Hi, I'm new here.
I bought a bunch of F330 for a peppercorn price at a liquidation
sale.  One SCSI cable lists for what I paid the the entire array.

I figure that in the worst case I can always break and sell the
memory sticks and cables.

But curiosity gets to me, I'd like to bring at least one of
these beasts up.  I figured if I powered one up it would
kick out a prompt on the console port.  

But it doesn't seem to.  Is there a trick to do a cold reset
and get the things to start over?

Thanks, and please be gentle with a naive newbie.

Henry

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