Re: [Qemu-devel] AmigaOS 4.x on QEMU

[xalaris]

BALATON Zoltan wrote
> I almost managed to get it to boot in QEMU with some changes in OpenBIOS 
> but it seems there are still more bugs to hunt down and then not 
> everything needed is in QEMU yet (most importantly supported graphics card 
> emulation) so I don't know how far I can get with it but that's what I'd 
> like to find out. Even if MorphOS may not be usable at the end it should 
> improve OpenBIOS and QEMU's PPC Mac emulation a little.

Yes, well, this is a matter which requires a few considerations. You see,
graphics cards on PowerMacs have some differences compared to their
PC-equivalent. They may be of the same make and chipset etc. but they have a
different Rom content. People trying to use regular PC cards on a Macintosh
had to flash their cards' ROM contents, unless the size limited the
operation. In such cases some people actually got to replace the ROM chip
completely. This might mean that if you find yourself a compatible card, you
might still have to flash it. But then again, since MorphOS is a
multi-platform OS, it runs on other mobos, like bPlan's Pegasos 1 and 2, and
the Efika. Those i'm not sure if they require a 'Mac-ROM' card... 
The OS also runs on PPC-equiped classic Amigas. Now, those that are expanded
with something like a Mediator PCI bridgeboard, can use regular Radeons,
Voodoos etc.


BALATON Zoltan wrote
> While technically may be possible, looks like it is not legally possible 
> to run AmigaOS on anything else than licensed hardware. (Similar to OS X.) 
> I think this is unfortunate as it confines it to a very small niche. Maybe 
> they could get a bigger market if potential buyers could try it first 
> without much commitment but it's their decision.

True! Theoritically the 'NG' Amigas have helped widen hardware choices. But
if this is considered a 'hobby OS', it all comes down to plenty of dough for
anyone wanting to give it a try. They have the SAM440, 460, and there's also
the X-1000. I'm not sure about this, but i think the SAMs were originally
made for the embedded-systems market, and were chosen enroute as a platform
for the AOS 4.x.
Potential customers will be sad to see that all Sam hardware is currently
out of stock..



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