9fans archive / 1999 / 08 / 1 /     next

From: David Griffiths dave@pri...
Subject: [9fans] Plan 9 on Black Hardware
Date: Sun, 01 Aug 1999 11:53:00 +0100

Hi, I would like to port Linux to my NeXT Cube. There is a port under
way but it appears to have stalled somewhat. Part of the reason is that
there is no documentation available for NeXT hardware and Apple have not
published the kernel sources for their port of Mach. Plan 9 however has
been ported to NeXT hardware. I understand that even with the help of
documentation from NeXT, the port was still a painful process. So the
quickest way for me to do a port of Linux would be to study the Plan 9
kernel source for tips on how to access the hardware.

Problem is though that Plan 9 costs $350 plus shipping in the US -
probably more here in the UK. The number quoted in the FAQ led me to a
UK number. Their computer was down yesterday and they were unable to
tell me if they had Plan 9 in stock. Amazon is quoting 4-6 weeks
delivery. But basically >$350 seems a lot to pay for something I don't
intend to use!

So I was wondering if there is any other way of obtaining the sources I
need. I believe there was an old version available for non-commercial
use. That would suit me fine since the NeXT-specific bits are unlikely
to have changed. Does anyone know if this is still available anywhere?

Thanks in advance,

Dave