[Thinbsd] New release

[Francois Tigeot]

On Mon, Sep 26, 2005 at 01:09:34AM -0400, Brian K. White wrote:
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Francois Tigeot" <ftigeot at wolfpond.org>
> To: <thinbsd at zefyris.com>
> Sent: Sunday, September 25, 2005 11:45 AM
> Subject: [Thinbsd] New release
> 
> 
> >I am proud to announce a new release of ThinBSD.
> >
> > Following some user comments, I have added support for PS/2 mouses and
> > two new families of ethernet adapters :
> > - Realtek 8129/8139 (rl driver)
> > - Intel EtherExpress (fxp driver)
> >
> I'm just waiting to find the time to try and follow the directions to make 
> my own thinbsd from scratch,

This is still a rough ride; I will have to take the time to overhaul the
documentation some day...
The most important requirement is a FreeBSD box to build the world.

> because I need either freebsd 6.0 or at least a usb driver patch from 6.0 
> hacked into 5.4
> 
> I want to use this:
> http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_DisplayProductInformation-Start?ProductSKU=VGPWKB1
> 
> Better pictures here:
> http://www.ecat.sony.co.jp/vaio/acc/acc.cfm?pd=18787
> 
> http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/akiba/hotline/20050319/etc_vgpwkb1.html

Seems to be a nice little beast

[...]

> When I posted a question to the -current list I got a response explaining 
> the above, and claiming that the necessary tweak to the usb driver is in 6.0
> 
> I currently have a normal PC running suse 9.3 in my living room hooked to my 
> plasma tv just so I can use the keyboard.
> What I really want though is to ditch linux and put freebsd 5.4 back on the 
> pc, in the cellar or office, (anywhere but the living room) and thinbsd on a 
> diskless little box (the one I made from an old blue painted steel netgear 
> hub).
> I can't run 6.0 on any box I'm actually going to use because of the types of 
> errors I still see being posted on the freebsd-current list, but I wouldn't 
> mind it as the basis of a thin client at all.

6.0 is not so bad these days. I have made the switch on my workstation and
the last beta is no more unstable than 5.4 was.
I will not make the jump to 6.0 as a basis for ThinBSD anytime soon,
howewer. I am warry of the changes made to the dhcp client and would not
risk a regression on this point.

Running the existing userland with a 6.0 kernel should be theoretically
possible. If you can find a machine to compile a kernel on, a FreeBSD
GENERIC kernel modified to force the root on the ramdisk should have a
good chance to work.

-- 
Francois Tigeot