LispOS on a 68000

[Mike McDonald]

>From lispos-request@math.gatech.edu  Thu May 14 15:14:35 1998
>Resent-Date: Thu, 14 May 1998 17:45:31 -0400 (EDT)
>Date: Thu, 14 May 1998 16:46:21 -0500
>From: David Tillman <dtillman@cannonexpress.com>
>To: lispos@math.gatech.edu
>Subject: Re: LispOS on a 68000
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>>>>>> Mike McDonald <mikemac@teleport.com> writes:
>
>>   Wow! I haven't heard of anyone trying to hack a homebrewed
>> system in years! Everyone seems to just buy an already built
>> motherboard (most likely, a PC one) and then hack
>> software. Sounds like fun. (Really sounds like things from my
>> past. Say fifteens years ago! Anyone remeber a thing called the
>> "Big Board"?) Are you building your own MB to learn how or
>> what?
>
>
>    I never used a big board, I did have a brief love affair
>    with CP/M in my teens. No, I'm not building one to learn
>    how, I already know how (or did). Of course, that was back
>    when the 6809 was hot. At the moment I am sick of the constant
>    MHz race in processors and would like an architecture that
>    does the Right Thing.

  Yup, when the 6809 was hot is about the right time frame for me
too. As for the "Right Thing", I understand the desire! Boy do I!


>    On the down side, Motorola has issued a End of Life statement
>    for the normal 68030. The 68EC030 continues to be supported
>    but lacks the MMU (why?). I haven't checked the other variants
>    for MMU suport. Of course, you could tack on a 68332 MMU unit...

  Well, if they're EOLed, you should be able to pick up a bunch
pretty cheaply. Until they become scarce, that is. As Dwight Hughes
points out, you might want to consider a 040. Or for that matter, an
88K. 


>    Something this hardware-centric may be a bit off-topic for
>    the LispOS list. If anyone wants to discuss it further, I
>    would be glad to discuss it here, or I can start a lisp-hardware
>    list.

  Heck, with all of the other ideas floated around here over the last
year, how can anything be called "off topic"? I find it to be a
refreshing and interesting idea.

>    I think my goals would be:
>
>        a. Have *one* variant of video board.
>        b. Have *one* variant of I/O board.
>        c. Use standard SIMMs.
>        d. Use SCSI as much as possible.

  Sounds like an intelligent choice.

>    I realize that using a 40 MHz processor may seem like a giant
>    step back. The problem is, newer, faster processors are just
>    to finicky to diddle with on a one off basis. Otherwise I would
>    be looking at the PowerPC or an Alpha.
>
>    -Dave

  Ah, my "Right Thing" machine would have been an Alpha running Linux
and OpenGenera. I could use Linux and X to run all of those annoying
little apps that I haven't gotten around to writting while still
enjoying a liberation of the soul whilest using Genera. Oh well, back
to hacking C++. :-(

  Mike McDonald
  mikemac@mikemac.com